In the aftermath of the fall 2019 federal election and the re-election of the Justin Trudeau-led Liberal Party to a minority government, there was an immediate backlash in Western Canada. As the results of the election came in, social media started to resound with cries for western separation from the rest of Canada.
Soon a movement was solidified under the 鈥淲exit鈥� banner (Western Exit, similar in name and concept to 鈥淏rexit,鈥� or British Exit from the European Union).
This led to provincial parties 小蓝视频 formed in Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia under the name Wexit. But on July 23, the new provincial party announced it was changing its name to the Buffalo Party of Saskatchewan. It would also be under new leadership, with Jake Wall stepping down and Wade Sira appointed by the party鈥檚 board as its interim leader.
Born in Saskatoon, Sira is a 37-year-old truck driver who has spent his life in the city and surrounding areas. A press release noted he is a family man, community leader and participates in church activities, service clubs and has coached, refereed and umpired sports in the area.
In 2016, Sira was elected as a municipal council reeve and soon was also appointed a representative with the Saskatchewan Assessment Management Agency (SAMA). He has also been involved at the grassroots level with political organizations, the party鈥檚 press release said.
鈥淩ight now, I鈥檓 hauling emulsion across Saskatchewan,鈥� he said. 鈥淚n the wintertime, I haul salt and fertilizer.鈥�
Sira said there was confusion between the federal Wexit party and the provincial one, so 鈥渢he board decided that there needs to be a membership vote for the name, and a pretty good majority voted in favor of changing the name to Buffalo.鈥�
Sira said between 65 and 70 per cent of the party members supported the chosen name.
Buffalo was the originally proposed name for one province, which would have been the combined territories of what is now Alberta and Saskatchewan. Instead, the Wilfrid Laurier Liberal government decided to split that large region into the two current provinces, which joined confederation in 1905.
Sira said, 鈥淚 grew up in the time NDP within this province and the Reform Party in Western Canada and the struggle that Western Canada has had. And as I got older, and got more involved in politics, I could see like anybody else in the province I was a fan of Brad Wall. Brad Wall was standing up for Saskatchewan.鈥�
But after the change of leadership within the Sask. Party to now-Premier Scott Moe, Sira said he saw the party 鈥渃hange from who they were supposed to be to begin with.鈥�
And there was a 180-degree change in federal administrations, from the Stephen Harper Conservatives to the Justin Trudeau Liberals.
鈥淎nd we have no representation out west. We're not even getting close to a fair shake. When Quebec, can have their natural resources not part of the equation for equalization payments, but the rest of us all have to toe the line, that we always include our natural resources, that myself, I feel like we're almost a colony of Eastern Canada. We don't get fair representation, but we get sure taxed for it.鈥�
For many in the Wexit movement, the re-election of the Trudeau-led Liberal government was the final straw. It certainly was for Sira, who said, 鈥淚t was a feeling of helplessness, that we will not survive out here. And I don't want that for my son. I don't want that for his friends. And then, God willing, my grandchildren, and the future generations to have to deal with what is becoming and what will, what has become.
鈥淲e will see 50 per cent added to our federal debt and push us over a trillion dollars. And how can we ever pay this back? There's only one commodity that we have in Canada that can pay this back and that's oil. And we can't do anything. There's zero drilling going on in Saskatchewan right now.鈥�
Sira noted, 鈥淪askatchewan is an economic goldmine, not just for us as Saskatchewan but for Canada, and ever since the days of Wilfrid Laurier he knew that the west potentially could be a powerhouse. And when he drew up he destroyed the Northwest Territory in our potential becoming Buffalo, as the province in Canada, and divided us into two.鈥�
He pointed out how Saskatchewan and Alberta, with six senators each, have just a portion of what other provinces are allotted in the Senate.
Sira said, 鈥淔irst and foremost, the people of this province we live in a democratic country, we live in a democratic process and they have the right to have the referendum, not Moe to tell them that I'm not giving you the right for a referendum.鈥�
As for their goals, he said, 鈥淚f the people want to leave, and we govern them in the best ability to domestically, we can, for us leave. If they want to stay, then we still want our sovereignty; we still want a fair shake within Canada. We want to have control over own immigration. We want control over more of our natural resources, and to be building these pipelines without having one province hold up the rest of Canada. We want to have pretty much what Quebec was able to obtain within Canada. Why can't we be treated the same way?
鈥淚f people want to stay in Canada, then we want to have our own sovereign identity within Canada. If they want to leave and we will leave. 鈥�
He continued, 鈥淚 see Alberta, Saskatchewan 小蓝视频 the main two to leave first, and then, B.C. and Manitoba, and even the potentially the northern territories.鈥�
He thinks British Columbia might have to be divided up, as there鈥檚 too much support for the federal government in the Lower Mainland for that portion of British Columbia to leave.
