Ahead of conversations about trade, tariffs and health care, the political focus in Ottawa on Wednesday was squarely on a new bitumen pipeline.
Prime Minister Mark Carney sat down with the premiers of Alberta and British Columbia to privately talk about economic development and the potential of a new project.
And while there was no major update following the meeting, all involved parties voiced optimism about finding compromise.
“I think we’ve got so much common ground,” Danielle Smith told reporters.
“We don’t always agree on everything, but I think we’ve got a really solid base to start on, and I’m looking forward to continuing that conversation.”
Alberta’s premier pointed to TMX expansion, nuclear development, integrated electricity markets and LNG as points of commonality.
David Eby said those subjects open the door to a larger discussion.
“The tone was very civil in the meeting and borderline friendly,” B.C.’s premier said.
“Alberta is our largest trading partner (and) we have lots of overlap with Alberta, lots of shared interest in terms of energy and electricity.
“The goal here is to respect each other’s differences and move forward as best as possible.”
As of now, TMX expansion seems almost like a foregone conclusion.
The next step after that will be more consultation on another line to the coast, which was presented as a real possibility when a federal memorandum of understanding was signed in November.
Eby says there are still hurdles to clear before he feels comfortable with more development.
“I underlined the crucial importance of engaging with First Nations through this process,” he said.
“These are the same Nations that are supporting an excess of $50 billion worth of energy projects already in British Columbia, and we need their continued support to be able to deliver those projects.”
The new proposed line still has no proponent or route.
Smith says a June outline will publicly shine more light on her plan.
“We’ve got some work to do, of course, and consulting with First Nations, but we’ve pledged to keep Premier (Eby) in the loop as those conversations go on,” she said.
All of Canada’s provincial leaders will sit in for a Wednesday evening dinner before the main meetings kick off Thursday.
