By Samantha Maciag

Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff makes first appearance in Saskatchewan

Apr 16, 2011 | 1:48 PM

Twenty-two days in to the federal election campaign and Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff made his first stop in Saskatchewan Saturday with some of his youngest supporters — preschoolers in Regina.

Michael Ignatieff and local candidates met at the Stepping Stone Childcare Co-op on Broad Street to present what seems to be a perennial Liberal announcement for an early childhood and childcare program.

Ignatieff chatted with preschoolers about pets, jobs and aspirations, afterward taking questions from a slough of national and local reporters — many focused on his campaign tactics to date.

“I'm a happy guy here. I'm standing here defending what I think are basic, fundamental Canadian values,” he said, when questioned about his rants at a Sudbury, Ont. rally on Friday.

He seems to recognize Saskatchewan hasn't been a Liberal stronghold for years, but he has a strategy for getting voters back.

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“Speak to Saskatchewan families about what's top of mind as a priority — cost of post-secondary education, access to childcare, energy bills. Those are three and I could go on,” he said.

As for the flooding that's plaguing the prairies — Ignatieff says that a national watershed plan is necessary for prevention instead of the government always coming in to help flooded areas after the fact.

“We have to take this on as a national project — it's effecting Manitoba, Saskatchewan and many other part of southern Alberta have this problem,” he said.

Ignatieff went on to participate in an online town hall at the Hotel Saskatchewan and then to the First Nations University annual pow wow at the Brandt Centre before heading to Edmonton for a rally with former Prime Minister Paul Martin Saturday night.

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