Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe and his Alberta counterpart Danielle Smith want a corridor that would help Canadian goods reach Asian markets.Liam Richards/The Canadian Press
The premiers of Alberta and Saskatchewan are pushing for more energy infrastructure, including a port-to-port project in Canada’s North, saying it would help boost Prime Minister Mark Carney’s energy-security discussion at the G7 meeting.
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe is an enthusiastic proponent of a port-to-port trade corridor proposal that would help Canadian goods reach Asian markets via British Columbia’s Port of Prince Rupert.
That proposal came out of the western premiers meeting in May. Both Mr. Moe and his Alberta colleague, Danielle Smith, said Monday in Calgary that they would like to see it on the list the federal government is compiling of nationally important infrastructure projects.
Western premiers want Ottawa to support the development of the economic corridor between the Prince Rupert port and Hudson Bay, connecting in Churchill, Man., and ultimately tying into the proposed Grays Bay Road and Port project in Nunavut, which would connect rich mineral resources to international shipping routes.
“It’s much larger than just the next pipeline to actually have this port-to-port corridor,” Mr. Moe said, adding that it would provide economic opportunities to Western Canada and, by extension, the entire country, by dramatically increasing the value of exports over the next 20 to 50 years.
Eric Reguly: The Israel-Iran war has, so far, not sent oil prices soaring. That could change
Noting that he is far from a Liberal Party booster, Mr. Moe said he can get behind some of Mr. Carney’s aspirations, including the Prime Minister’s vision for Canada to become a global energy superpower and have the strongest economy in the G7.
But Canada’s regulatory environment needs to shift, and it needs to shift quickly, Mr. Moe said.
“Policies matter in this space. We’re hearing some reasonable language coming out of the Prime Minister, coming out of [Energy Minister Tim Hodgson] and many others in the federal government, and very shortly those words are going to have to turn into action,” he said.
The premiers made the comments at a Calgary luncheon with Enserva, an energy services organization, as Mr. Carney hosts the G7 Leaders’ Summit, 80 kilometres west of the city in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Among his priorities for the summit are showcasing Canada’s natural resources and building energy security among G7 countries.
As the world recalibrates its approach to energy security and energy poverty, Ms. Smith said, highlighting Alberta is a perfect opportunity to drive home how the province can help provide a solution, because of its massive reserves of oil and gas.
Mr. Moe said now, in the shadow of the G7, is a good chance for Mr. Carney to take a realistic look at policies to attract investment into all industries, whether it’s energy, uranium mining, nuclear, lithium or critical minerals.
He urged the Prime Minister to develop a long-term vision on how to get oil, gas and other products to world markets.
“Ultimately, through conversations such as that port-to-port corridor that’s going to open up Asian and European markets, it ensures that we can actually provide the world with those energy products.”
The Saskatchewan Premier has urged Prime Minister Mark Carney, pictured, to implement policies that would attract investment into all industries.Amber Bracken/Reuters
Ms. Smith said that creating a corridor that partners with the build-out of roads, transmission lines, rail lines and oil and gas pipelines is “a perfect marriage of all of the different infrastructure we need” for Canada to become an energy superpower.
For Mr. Moe, the next step must be for Mr. Carney to throw Ottawa’s full support behind the port concept. And he must do that quickly, while shifting global trade norms give Canada “the greatest opportunity that I’ve seen” for many of its industries, Mr. Moe added.
Ms. Smith said she has seen a willingness from the Carney government to work collaboratively with the provinces on energy security.
“That’s important because we are going to need collaboration and support from the federal government as well as from other provinces and Indigenous partners,” she said.
“We’re going to need to restore investor confidence to position ourselves as a leader in global energy security for the decades to come.”
That said, she noted, Mr. Carney may struggle to fully meet the energy sector’s asks without a majority government.
“To his credit, he didn’t immediately race to get a deal with either the Bloc or the NDP. Because if he had done that, I can only imagine the conditions that would have accompanied that,” she said.