Prime Minister Mark Carney will sit down with the premiers in Saskatoon on June 2, a summit billed as a reset with Western Canada after years of frustration over federal policies.Ontario Premier Doug Ford disclosed the date today.Minutes later, the Prime Minister’s Office confirmed Carney will travel to Saskatoon for a one‑day, face‑to‑face meeting. The session will be hosted at Saskatchewan Polytechnic’s Innovation Place campus overlooking the South Saskatchewan River.Ford framed the road trip as “an olive branch.”"I said it is time that your government starts showing some love to Saskatchewan and Alberta because as I said, the last prime minister showed no love," said Ford."They have been treated terribly, to be very frank, and I think the new prime minister understands that and he will be out there having a great conversation.".Carney, fresh off winning a fourth straight Liberal mandate last week, faces premiers who want more control over energy rules, emissions caps, and carbon taxes. Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says Ottawa must “engage and consult” before imposing any new climate measures. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is drafting a bill that would lower the signature threshold needed to trigger a referendum on leaving Canada, a vote she says she would personally oppose but is prepared to let Albertans consider.British Columbia Premier David Eby called separation talk a non‑starter and urged Moe and Smith to “push back strongly” against it."You've got a couple of conservative premiers in Saskatchewan and Alberta, their preferred candidate was not successful in the federal election. They have strong bases of support for conservatives in those provinces, they're navigating tricky waters," said Eby."Take the moment to defend our country."International pressures are also putting pressure on all levels of government. .Carney met President Donald Trump on Tuesday, a closely watched Oval Office visit that produced no sweeping trade deal but, according to Ford, cooled tensions."I don't think I'd have the restraint that he had yesterday to be very frank," said Ford. "I think everyone's feeling relatively good on the meeting yesterday. So that's a good start."Trade will dominate the agenda. Carney has pledged to scrap remaining interprovincial barriers by Canada Day and launch “nation‑building projects” that move energy, minerals, and food to global markets. "Let's start diversifying our trade when it comes to oil," said Ford. "Let's start building pipelines west, east, north, and south as well.".Moe wants clarity on how Ottawa will treat provincial clean energy plans that are different from federal targets. Moe argues carbon taxes should be set in Regina, not in Ottawa.Smith, meanwhile, is under growing pressure to justify why she would lower the bar for a separation vote while insisting she opposes breaking up the federation. Ford said the issue was not discussed during the premiers call.“The premiers and I spoke today. In the face of our immediate trade pressures, we’re focused on building strength at home,” Carney wrote on Twitter/X.“That means launching big nation-building projects, removing internal trade barriers, and building one Canadian economy. We agreed to meet in Saskatoon on June 2 to keep that work going — and keep building Canada strong.”
