Brian Zinchuk is editor and owner of Pipeline Online
Avi Lewis, who was proclaimed as the new leader of the NDP, speaks at the party convention in Winnipeg Sunday, March 29, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods
WINNIPEG, REGINA – On March 29, Avi Lewis won the federal leadership of the New Democratic Party at a convention in Winnipeg. On his way home to BC, he may experience some chilly winds passing through Saskatchewan.
That’s because Saskatchewan NDP Leader and Leader of the Opposition Carla Beck wrote a frosty letter to Lewis, released to the media on March 29, basically telling Lewis his energy and resource policies aren’t going to fly in the Land of Living Skies.
And it’s a significant point for Beck, whose party often endures slings and arrows from the governing Saskatchewan Party with regards to stances taken by the federal NDP. The provincial and federal parties are formally linked, as the Sask Party likes to point out.
As the National Post noted, “Lewis and his wife, author Naomi Klein, were two of the co-authors of the 2015 Leap Manifesto, a document calling on the party to pivot to a bold agenda of eliminating fossil fuels, redistributing wealth, and returning land to Indigenous communities.”
That’s not likely to very far in this province, where on any given year, oil is neck and neck competition with potash as the largest contributor to the province’s gross domestic product. (This year it’ll likely be potash, but previous years saw oil as No. 1.)
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The federal NDP doesn’t even have party status, and Lewis holds no seat. And perhaps significantly, Beck holds a seat and her party substantially grew in the most recent election, whereas Lewis has never been successful at getting anything better than third place in both elections he ran federally. As the National Post noted on March 25, it’s an open question where Lewis will even run, anywhere, and have a chance of getting elected. Beck’s party, on the other hand, with its stronghold in Saskatchewan’s large cities, is a viable contender for government. That’s likely one of the reasons this term her caucus’ critic positions have been going by the alternate term “shadow minister” as opposed to “critic.”
Here’s the full text of Beck’s letter.
Dear Mr. Lewis:
I am writing to you today regarding you and your campaign team’s outreach to arrange a meeting with me.
The positions that you have taken when it comes to natural resource development are ideological and unrealistic. They would hurt Saskatchewan workers, communities, and industries.
On November 20, 2025, you said that you are “unequivocally opposed to any new fossil fuel development-including LNG.” You have doubled down on those positions in media interviews this weekend.
Your approach has not only taken aim at the resources, but at the people who work in these sectors – and it ignores the realities not only in this province but across the country.
Today, there are 40,000 direct and indirect Saskatchewan jobs tied to natural resource development-there are at least 900,000 nationwide. Entire communities in Saskatchewan rely on these sectors. The policies and positions you have advocated for put at risk $13.6 billion in economic activity annually in Saskatchewan.
The NDP is the party of working people. It’s impossible to support – and respect – working people without respecting the jobs they have, not the ones you think they should have.
In 1949, an interprovincial pipeline was approved by the federal government, and the first stage to Regina was constructed in less than 18 months. At the time, Saskatchewan Premier Tommy Douglas declared the project a major milestone and touted the benefits of connecting our province to the energy resources in Alberta. As someone who grew up in Toronto, I’m sure you know that this pipeline network – now Enbridge Line 5 – supplies the jet fuel needed to fly planes out of Pearson International Airport.
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- 0111 2026 SK Oil Show booth promo 010111 2026 SK Oil Show booth promo 01
- 0085 Turnbull snow removal call office0085 Turnbull snow removal call office
- 0102 Lori Carr Coal Extended0102 Lori Carr Coal Extended
- 0100 Turnbull Project Manager0100 Turnbull Project Manager
- 0099 Mryglod Steel 1080p0099 Mryglod Steel 1080p
- 0097 Eagle Sky Ventures LTD0097 Eagle Sky Ventures LTD
- 0095 Fast Trucking nearly 70 years good at it0095 Fast Trucking nearly 70 years good at it
- 0092 Turnbull projects big and small0092 Turnbull projects big and small
- 0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser
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The positions that you have expressed publicly in this leadership race, and in your prior interactions with the New Democratic Party, are antithetical to the values of a party built with and for working people. You have repeatedly claimed you’re laser-focused on affordability; however, the policy positions you have taken don’t reflect that.
Our resource sectors, now and moving forward, are how we deliver on Tommy Douglas’ dream of universal healthcare, good schools, and strong social supports for our most vulnerable.
Moving forward, we need a plan that keeps the lights on as well as keeps the costs of power and food production low. That’s exactly what the Saskatchewan NDP is delivering with the development of our Grid & Growth Plan – we’ re diversifying our industries, protecting affordability and lowering emissions. It’s not an either-or proposition.
When you publicly reverse your position on these matters and show a willingness to try to understand the realities of our province and the thousands of proud Saskatchewan workers who rely on our industries to feed their families, I will meet with you.
Sincerely,
Carla Beck
Leader of the Official Opposition
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- 0116 IBEW 300116 IBEW 30
- 0115 SaskPower SASPO_2817_PLT_Recruitment_DIVERSITY0115 SaskPower SASPO_2817_PLT_Recruitment_DIVERSITY
- 0114 Prospera Bold Vision0114 Prospera Bold Vision
- 0113 Miller Epic Cinematic Hollywood trailer0113 Miller Epic Cinematic Hollywood trailer
- 0111 2026 SK Oil Show booth promo 010111 2026 SK Oil Show booth promo 01
- 0085 Turnbull snow removal call office0085 Turnbull snow removal call office
- 0102 Lori Carr Coal Extended0102 Lori Carr Coal Extended
- 0100 Turnbull Project Manager0100 Turnbull Project Manager
- 0099 Mryglod Steel 1080p0099 Mryglod Steel 1080p
- 0097 Eagle Sky Ventures LTD0097 Eagle Sky Ventures LTD
- 0095 Fast Trucking nearly 70 years good at it0095 Fast Trucking nearly 70 years good at it
- 0092 Turnbull projects big and small0092 Turnbull projects big and small
- 0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser
- 0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech
- 0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask
- 0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly
- 0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar
- 0041 DEEP Since 2018 now we are going to build0041 DEEP Since 2018 now we are going to build
- 0032 IWS Summer hiring rock trailer music
- 0022 Grimes winter hiring
- 0021 OSY Rentals S8 Promo
- 0018 IWS Hiring Royal Summer
- 0013 Panther Drilling PO ad 03 top drive rigs
- 0002 gilliss casing services0002 gilliss casing services
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