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Energy East pipeline critical to fortunes

Pipelines are critical for Alberta, but protests and political opposition throughout the rest of Canada have hampered the ability to get Alberta’s oil products to tidewater.

Pipelines are critical for Alberta, but protests and political opposition throughout the rest of Canada have hampered the ability to get Alberta’s oil products to tidewater.

The National Energy Board had been scheduled to hold hearings in Montreal on the proposed Energy East pipeline – a 4,600 km TransCanada pipeline that would carry up to 1.1 million barrels of crude oil per day between Hardisty, Alta. to an export terminal in New Brunswick. However, last week, the hearings screeched to a halt as protests took place and a violent disruption took place in the hearing room. It’s unfortunate that the violence took away from the people who came to express their views more respectfully, to voice their concerns about pipeline integrity and safeguarding water resources.

In an opinion piece sent to the Journal, Conservative MP for the Lakeland MP Shannon Stubbs called for the regulatory decision to be made by experts, based on evidence and facts.

“The process should not be hijacked by hypocritical politicians and one-issue activists grandstanding for their own partisan purposes or extremists’ radical agendas,” she wrote, pointing out that Eastern Canada imports “an astounding 86% of oil from foreign jurisdictions, most which do not have environmental standards, violate human rights and where energy development only benefits corrupts, despotic regime.”

Once the NEB has made its decision, the federal cabinet will have the final say on the project, which means making hard decisions that may exacerbate the regional differences in Canada. However, in the long run, people throughout Canada must see and feel the benefits of Albertan resource production, as it means a boost for the Canadian economy and jobs throughout the country.

Transitioning to an economy that is less resource-based, and more resourcefulness-based, as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called it, requires time, energy, funding and innovation. It won’t happen overnight, and it won’t happen by kneecapping the oil and gas industry.

Both those opposed and in support of Energy East deserve to have their say at these hearings, but the decision must be indeed based on evidence and facts – and the fact is, this project will not only be to the good of Alberta, but to the rest of Canada as well.




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