On a warm Sunday afternoon in Saskatoon, a different kind of welcome was waiting for Canada’s premiers and prime minister.
Just hours before the First Ministers’ Meeting kicked off behind closed doors on June 1st, people began gathering by the river under the Vimy Memorial Bandstand. Little did the country's decision-makers know, a crowd of nearly 60 people would assemble just blocks away to call for a bold shift in direction.
In less than a week (and with just two days’ notice!), organizers from Climate Justice Saskatoon and one of our hubs, Saskatoon Climate Hub, pulled together a “Powerlines, Not Pipelines” flash rally that brought incredible energy to the streets. People wore green, carried handmade signs and marched through downtown, calling for a clean energy corridor that connects provinces with renewable electricity rather than another coast-to-coast pipeline.
The rally came on the heels of a troubling Saturday. According to Environment Canada, Saskatoon experienced up to 10 hours of high-risk levels on the Air Quality Health Index due to ongoing wildfires in northern parts of the province, as well as from an unusually hot spring that started in early April. Amid this haze, the rally’s message became all the more urgent, and calls for bold climate action were grounded in the growing toll of delay.
People pose for a photo under the Vimy Memorial Bandstand in Saskatoon for the Powerlines, Not Pipelines rally organized by Climate Justice Saskatoon and Saskatoon Climate Hub on June 1.
Speakers at the rally didn’t hold back. They talked about short-sighted spending and the urgent need to divest from fossil fuels. Glenn Wright, a volunteer with both organizing groups, called out the billions already spent on outdated oil infrastructure like the Trans Mountain pipeline and pointed to the missed opportunities in solar, wind and responsible mineral development.
Importantly, he added, this transition can’t come at the cost of Indigenous rights and environmental protections. Real climate leadership needs to centre justice, too.
But as there always is, there was also hope: hope for interprovincial cooperation, for Indigenous leadership at the table, for a just energy transition that brings jobs, fairness and resilience (especially to the Prairies and the North). Still possible is a future where we invest in infrastructure that links provinces together and lights up homes with solar, wind and hydro, and where we move away from projects that divide us and drive up emissions.
Rally attendees carry handmade signs with messages such as “There is no Planet B,” “Fossil fools fueling extinction,” and “Climate justice now.”
In a moment where climate promises are often made behind podiums (and rarely delivered), public demonstrations like these are a vital pulse check. They make climate action visible, showing who’s paying attention, who’s willing to speak up and who’s tired of waiting.
They also help reframe the narrative. While politicians talk about pipelines as inevitable, Saskatoon’s gathering reminds us that there’s another path rooted in collaboration, not competition. These rallies make space for voices often left out of energy planning: youth, Indigenous leaders, scientists, workers, parents and community organizers who know that the clean energy transition won’t succeed unless it includes everyone.
While the premiers talked behind closed doors about the economy and infrastructure, those outside reminded them that climate action can’t be postponed or sidelined. In the coming months, the Saskatoon Climate Hub and Climate Justice Saskatoon will continue organizing, advocating and showing up. Because the message is simple, and it’s not going away: Canada needs powerlines, not pipelines. And the people are ready.