Federal NDP Leader Avi Lewis is wrapping up a five-day, 11-stop tour of Saskatchewan, but a meeting with provincial NDP Leader Carla Beck was not on the itinerary. The two leaders have not met in person during the visit, which runs from May 13 to 17, 2026.
Lewis Expresses Support for Saskatchewan NDP
Speaking by phone while traveling to Star Blanket Cree Nation on Thursday, Lewis told the Regina Leader-Post that he fully backs Beck and the provincial party. "I want Saskatchewan to have an NDP government and I'll do anything that I can to support that, and I support Carla," he said.
Lewis acknowledged a previous disagreement with Beck over his views on natural resources. Shortly after winning the federal NDP leadership in late March, Beck wrote a letter calling his position "ideological and unrealistic" for Saskatchewan. However, Lewis described the dispute as a "minor ruffle of feathers" that has since been resolved.
Scheduling Conflicts Cited
Both leaders cited busy schedules as the reason for not meeting. Lewis noted that the Victoria Day long weekend made it difficult to arrange a time. "Carla and I are in touch, and we haven't been able to make our schedules work for a visit while we're here," he explained.
Beck, speaking to reporters at the legislative building on Thursday, said her calendar was focused on pressing the Saskatchewan government about a leaked document suggesting billions could be spent on refurbishing a coal power plant. "My calendar right now is, as I said, pretty much built around this issue, this extreme coverup of $26 billion (and) doubling power rates in this province. I haven't changed that schedule," she stated.
Adapting Federal Messaging for Saskatchewan
Lewis said the federal NDP is working to adapt its platform to address regional concerns, particularly around fossil fuel revenues. "Fossil fuel revenues are perhaps the largest source of provincial revenues, and ... making a transition to renewable energy and moving away from the destabilizing effects of the fossil fuel economy has to be communicated in a different way," he said.
He noted that Saskatchewan-based party members are helping tailor messaging to emphasize how skilled trades in oil and gas can transition to clean manufacturing and renewable energy.
Lewis's Visit and Party Background
Lewis, who lives in British Columbia and does not hold a seat in the House of Commons, won the federal NDP leadership on March 29 with 56% of the vote on the first ballot. The federal NDP currently holds only five seats in Parliament. Lewis's family has deep ties to the party; his grandfather, David Lewis, succeeded Saskatchewan's Tommy Douglas as national NDP leader in the 1970s.
The NDP has a storied history in Saskatchewan but has not had federal representation from the province since the 2019 election, when all three Saskatchewan NDP MPs lost their seats.
