The Regina Rally Against the Carbon Tax Thursday had a strong local flavour, as two of the four featured speakers were from the Estevan area.
Souris-Moose Mountain Member of Parliament (MP) Robert Kitchen was the first of the four main speakers. He was the lone Saskatchewan MP chosen to speak.
The other local speaker was Outram-area farmer Jason LeBlanc, who was one of the organizers of the rally. He was recently criticized in the Saskatchewan Legislature by Ryan Meili, the leader of the New Democratic Party, who erroneously identified LeBlanc as a member of the Yellow Vest Movement.
LeBlanc received the loudest and the largest ovation from those who attended the rally.
Other speakers at the rally were Michael Kram, who is the Conservative candidate in the Regina-Wascana constituency for the next federal election, and Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe.
Kitchen claimed there were 2,000 people present and 700 trucks from all over the province that participated in convoys that met in Regina. Some participants were up as early as 5 a.m.
“You should be out getting ready for seeding … you should be out working on your trucks, getting yourself ready so that when road bans are done, you could be out and doing those things,” Kitchen said.
He believes it was important for people to participate in the convoy because of the impact the carbon tax will have on Saskatchewan people.
“This expense trickles down to every small businessman, every farmer, every oilfield worker and it cripples you and your family and living your daily lives,” said Kitchen.
LeBlanc pointed out that agriculture producers in Canada have worked long, hard hours to build an industry that is well-respected around world.
“Global consumers have always had confidence in Canadian products, until the personal agenda of (Prime Minister) Justin Trudeau came into effect,” said LeBlanc.
Since then, there have been industry declines, land-locked resources, bin-locked crops, increased regulations and now the carbon tax.
He also accused Trudeau and Catherine McKenna, the federal minister of the Environment and Climate Change Canada, of not recognizing that Canadian farmers are well ahead of the curve on environmental issues.
“We have embraced zero-till, crop rotations, cover crops, GPS technologies, autosphere, irrigation, precise farming, shelter belts – the list goes on and on. Farmers have paid dearly for forced technological advancements in equipment just to satisfy government regulations,” he said.
Farmers have been successful through these practices, and have reduced carbon from the atmosphere.
LeBlanc cited the carbon capture and storage facility at SaskPower’s Boundary Dam Power Station as an example of using carbon dioxide in other industries as a way to reduce carbon emissions.
A large crowd gathered at the Queensbury Centre for the rally.
The convoys started early Thursday morning. A large contingent of semi-trailer units, pickup trucks and other vehicles departed the industrial area east of Estevan at 7 a.m., and were among the first to arrive.
Another convoy departed Weyburn after 8 a.m., and included people from Carlyle, Arcola and other communities.
Farmers, energy sector employees and others were part of the convoys.
After the speeches, the participants in the rally dispersed and returned to their communities.
Next week’s edition of the Mercury will have more on this story.
