Sask NDP Shadow Minister for Highways & Infrastructure Darcy Warrington made a brief stop in Prince Albert on Tuesday. (Image Credit: Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

By Nigel Maxwell

Provincial Politics

NDP calls out government over highway budget cuts

Mar 24, 2026 | 4:21 PM

Following last week’s provincial budget, the Saskatchewan have gone on the attack and on Tuesday, was focused on cuts to northern infrastructure.

During a stop in Prince Albert, Shadow Minister for Highways and Infrastructure Darcy Warrington said last year’s wildfire season showed how critical our highways are, essentially a lifeline of many communities. 

“We saw thousands of people struggling to evacuate last summer. These roads need to be protected at all costs,” he said.

Budget highlights from the Ministry of Highways included $764 million for improving safety and enhancing key transportation corridors but the NDP argued overall funding for Northern Saskatchewan roads will see a cut of $36 million, compared to the previous year (down from $122.3 million to $86.3 million).  

“This is 29 per cent less for roads used by businesses in the north, 29 per cent less for highways meant to keep folks safe,” Warrington said.

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The Sask NDP says a break from the fuel tax would save families money, but the Sask Party says doing so would impact a stable, predictable source of income. Here’s what Shadow Minister Darcy Warrington had to say about that during a stop in Prince Albert. pic.twitter.com/uMNB17C6Om

— Nigel Maxwell (@NigelMaxwell) March 24, 2026

As part of the highways budget, are improvement plans for more than 850 kilometres of provincial highways including a six kilometer section of Highway 2 north of Prince Albert (twinning).

Construction is expected to begin this year but Leroy Laliberte, First Nations and Métis Relations Shadow Minister, said Scott Moe’s government has a habit of making announcements and offering no follow through. 

“They say they’re going to be twinning part of the highway north of Prince Albert, but they are afraid to define what that means — our communities have been promised this highway for decades,” Laliberte said. “This is a government that has routinely shown that they don’t understand or care about northerners.” 

Laliberte added communities like Fond du Lac and Uranium City continue to be inaccessible by road, and many northern communities rely on deteriorating highways as their only way in or out of their communities. 

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nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On X: @nigelmaxwell