Premier David Eby slammed Alberta’s latest push for a pipeline to British Columbia’s west coast Wednesday, saying he wants to work with the province on “real” projects that have private-sector backing.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced her government will lead a technical advisory group of companies with Indigenous participants to advance an application for a pipeline to B.C.’s coast.
She said Alberta will act as the proponent in a formal application for the project to the federal Major Projects Office (MPO).
The MPO’s mandate is to streamline federal regulatory approval for projects deemed to be of significant national interest.
Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the first round of projects to be considered for fast tracking last month, including LNG Canada Phase 2 and the Red Chris Mine expansion in B.C.
Smith said her government will contribute $14 million to support early planning work including cost estimates and engagement with First Nations.
The advisory group for the application includes energy companies South Bow, Enbridge and Trans Mountain.
Alberta expects to submit the application to the MPO by next spring.
In her announcement Wednesday, Smith reiterated her call for the federal government to repeal policies she said are holding back private investors from funding new oil and gas projects, including the ban on oil tankers off B.C.’s north coast.
“I just have confidence that if we fix the investment climate and get an agreement with the federal government to move forward on this on the major projects list, that a proponent will step up and [a pipeline] will be built with private sector money,” said Smith.
Speaking at an event in Langford Wednesday, Eby slammed the pipeline plan and Smith’s calls to lift the tanker ban, calling it a “direct economic threat” to B.C. and Canada.
He said B.C. has shovel-ready projects with tens of billions of private sector investment, and Smith’s dream of a pipeline represents a distraction and “wedge politics.”
“There is no project…unless the Albertan government and the federal Canadian government are committing billions of taxpayer dollars to build this project, and if that is the plan, then they should be transparent about it,” said Eby.
Eby said he wants to work closely with Alberta on other major projects, like the intertie connecting the province’s electrical grids and growing the hydrogen sector.
