Premier’s trip to New Brunswick gets warm welcome
Posted Jun 7, 2013 12:16 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Premier Alison Redford was given a standing ovation Friday morning after she was finished addressing the New Brunswick legislature.
Redford is on the east coast, meeting with her counterpart Premier David Alward to push for a west-east pipeline from Alberta to an Irving refinery in Saint John.
In addressing MLAs in Fredericton, she spoke of the importance for both Alberta and Canada to diversify it’s interests.
“Canada’s biggest challenge, which we all face, is to establish better access to the international market place and to tell our story so that the potential buyers understand how much we have to offer, and no province can undertake this alone,” said Redford.
“A west-east pipeline will enable us to take advantage of some amazing synergies between Alberta and New Brunswick and use them for the benefit of all Canadians,” she explained. “Alberta is the only major producer on the planet without direct access to the sea.”
Premier David Alward calls it a vital project and one that deserves their support.
“We believe this is great whether you live in Alberta, New Brunswick or any other part of the country,” he says.
Former President of the Energy Policy Institute of Canada, Senator Doug Black calls it a crucial moment for his home province of Alberta.
“We in Alberta must have market access, east, west, north, maybe even south to get our product to tide water,” he tells 660News. “This matters, we can’t have hospitals, schools, roads and bridges unless we have revenue, we need to get it out.”
“Everybody along the route has to be on side here, including Québec, but you know it’s going to take leadership first and foremost and Premiers Redford and Alward are showing that,” he adds.
Black says we can’t afford to wait to see what happens with other projects like Gateway or Keystone.
The senator’s hoping Redford will also look at other ports along with Saint John, including Churchill, Manitoba.
