B.C. Premier David Eby called on Prime Minister Mark Carney to meet with the Coastal First Nations, who are vehemently opposed to a pipeline and oil tankers in the area.DARRYL DYCK/The Canadian Press
B.C. Premier David Eby says a pledge for an oil pipeline in a new energy accord between the federal government and Alberta is a distraction from real projects, as he called on Prime Minister Mark Carney to immediately meet with the Coastal First Nations in his province to discuss the plan.
Other premiers, however, expressed support for the pipeline proposal, and said they are also in discussions with Ottawa on agreements for their own provinces.
British Columbia’s Premier has been outspoken in his opposition to a new bitumen pipeline as well as lifting the oil tanker ban on his province’s northwest coast. Mr. Eby said Thursday he is anxious about the agreement between Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Mr. Carney that also lifts some of the previous Liberal government’s environmental policies.
“The bottom line for us is that we need to make sure that this project doesn’t become an energy vampire, with all of the variables that have yet to be fulfilled,” he told reporters outside the B.C. legislature on Thursday.
“No proponent, no route, no money, no First Nation support,” he said, adding that the pipeline proposal “cannot draw limited federal resources, limited Indigenous governance resources, limited provincial resources away from the real projects that will employ people, provide the country with money that we desperately need, and provide investment and access to global markets to deepen our trade relationships overseas.”
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Mr. Eby called on Mr. Carney to immediately meet with the Coastal First Nations, an alliance of nations on B.C.’s north coast, who are vehemently opposed to a pipeline and oil tankers in the area.
“They need to be a part of this conversation. They are the cornerstone of billions of dollars of investment in our province, thousands of jobs that are going to go forward. And they need to be engaged,” he said.
Mr. Eby said his concern is about “taking our eye off the prize” and “distracting the federal government,” by pulling time away from projects that can be delivered in the near term. These include LNG Canada Phase 2, which would expand the liquefied natural gas export facility at Kitimat, B.C. The LNG project has been selected by Mr. Carney’s Major Projects Office for fast-tracking approvals.
The B.C. Premier also cited the recent example of Saskatchewan-based fertilizer and agricultural giant Nutrien’s decision to invest up to $1-billion in the United States for a new export terminal instead of in Canada.
He said Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe should have been engaging with B.C. on a plan to address bottlenecks in Canada’s shipping system, rather than speaking with Ms. Smith about the pipeline proposal.
“I think that was entirely avoidable, and that is the one that gets under my skin,” Mr. Eby said.
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Mr. Moe’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Mr. Eby’s remarks. Earlier Thursday, Mr. Moe called the memorandum of understanding between Ottawa and Alberta a positive announcement.
“The tone of conversation, and the collaboration of our efforts, is better and stronger today than it has been in the last decade,” he said.
Mr. Moe said that deal could also affect his province on getting its energy to international markets, and that he’s also speaking with Ottawa on an agreement that could see Saskatchewan reintroduce its own industrial carbon price.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford, speaking at an announcement about building road access to the province’s Ring of Fire region to mine critical minerals, said he’s “really excited” about building more pipelines.
Both his province and Manitoba also struck draft agreements with the federal government this week to streamline reviews for major projects.
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Asked if he wants Ontario to receive some of the same exemptions as Alberta in its deal, which includes the suspension of clean electricity regulations, Mr. Ford said: “Hopefully we do. Hopefully we get treated fairly right across the board.”
“We do need the feds here. We need them to show us some love and some support,” he said. Ontario has repeatedly pressed Ottawa to increase infrastructure funding to help develop the Ring of Fire.
Mr. Ford later added that love comes in many forms. “One, when it comes to government, is cash,” he said.
Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston also said he fully supports getting Canadian resources to market and commended Mr. Carney and Ms. Smith.
B.C., meanwhile, was excluded from the talks between Ottawa and Alberta, although Mr. Eby said he spoke with both Ms. Smith and Mr. Carney on Wednesday. He said that had his province been at the table, he would have brought up issues such as spill response and increasing refining capacity in Canada.
“I don’t think one taxpayer dollar should go into this project, and I’m glad to see in the agreement that that is a condition,” he said. “I think that that is probably fatal to Premier Smith’s proposal.”