With the release of a federal fiscal plan that pledges billions in new infrastructure funding designed to spur corporate investment, the provinces were scouring the budget documents Tuesday to see where the money will land.
While some of them were buoyed by hints of support for their pet projects, Alberta expressed disappointment that its pitch for an oil pipeline to British Columbia’s coast didn’t secure a green light in the budget.
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“There’s a few mentions of pipelines in this budget, but it’s very vague,” Alberta’s Finance Minister, Nate Horner, told reporters at the provincial legislature.
“They reference a lot about their goals from this budget: transforming economy, driving investment,” he said. “There’s no way to effectively do that without embracing the resource sector.”
While the budget signals that Ottawa is prepared to eliminate the oil and gas emissions cap – a change that Alberta has demanded – Premier Danielle Smith said she would “reserve judgment” until negotiations with the federal government are concluded.
British Columbia, which has been lobbying for support for its growing critical-minerals sector, was seeking funds to help build a $6-billion transmission line that is tailored to attract new mines and liquefied natural gas facilities in the northwest corner of the province.
It was not immediately clear if B.C. will be able to tap into new funding to help pay for that project, but the federal budget received an enthusiastic thumbs up from the mining sector for a string of tax breaks and other policy changes.
Michael Goehring, president and chief executive of the Mining Association of British Columbia, called the budget a “bold and significant” plan to help position Canada as a leading global supplier of critical minerals.
“The new measures and tax incentives in Budget 2025 will help unlock approximately $41-billion in investment in new critical-mineral and mining projects across B.C.,” he said in an interview.
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B.C. Finance Minister Brenda Bailey said the province was happy to see support for critical-mineral mining laid out in the budget.
“It is the direction that we’re going, investments in infrastructure, investments in critical minerals, investments in mining, ensuring that we are able to stand on our own turf,” she said.
“I see some alignment, for sure, in the work that’s done by the federal government and where British Columbia is.”
But Ms. Bailey also said she’d be taking a closer look to ensure that the budget included some support for the province’s hard-hit forestry sector. B.C. officials met with Dominic LeBlanc, the federal minister responsible for Canada-U.S. trade, on Monday to strategize how to help the industry through U.S. tariffs on Canadian softwood amounting to 45.16 per cent.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday before the budget’s release, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he hoped to see infrastructure funding for the province, for nuclear plants as well as for the remote northern Ring of Fire region, where he claims reserves of critical minerals are key to Ontario’s economy.
Mr. Ford added that his pitch to build a tunnel under Highway 401 in the Toronto area “is always part of the discussion” with the federal government.
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In Winnipeg, Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said the budget’s mentions of the northern Port of Churchill – including through the illustration of an icebreaker on the front cover of the 493-page document – are positive for his province, suggesting that it shows Ottawa is interested in pursuing investment toward that newer trade corridor.
Speaking after the budget, New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt called the fiscal plan encouraging.
“Today’s federal budget includes some positive steps for New Brunswick, particularly investments in critical minerals and trade infrastructure,” she said. “We look forward to working with our federal partners to ensure projects like the Sisson Mine and our ports in Saint John and Belledune get the investment needed to power our economy.”
Nova Scotia Finance Minister John Lohr said the budget hints at support for one of his province’s preferred projects. “The province is pleased to see the mention of Wind West and its potential benefits, and we look forward to its inclusion in the next round of approved major projects.”