And then there were three.
The premier of Nova Scotia on Wednesday called for the federal government to “immediately” approve the long-languished Energy East pipeline to diversify away from US president Donald Trump’s tariff threats.
Tim Houston said he urged Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to do just that during a meeting with the other premiers earlier this week.
In addition to sending a message to the US, building the pipeline and diversifying Canada’s resource base and internal trade would “open up incredible opportunities for our own country,” he said in a press briefing following the ‘Team Canada’ session.
It would have moved about 1.1 million barrels per day (bpd) of Alberta crude oil to the Irving refinery in Saint John, New Brunswick but was opposed outright by the province of Quebec.
Consequently, it was cancelled by the Trudeau government in 2017, around the same time the Northern Gateway was also shelved.
Now Houston said it is time to reconsider at least the eastern segment.
“The United States is a huge market, and it's been a convenient customer. But now is now is the time to also, of course, look for diversification, not only across our country, but around around the world,” he said.
“A project like the Energy East would move resources from the west to the east, and then onto Europe. It will open up incredible opportunities for our country.”
But the point remains that Energy East remains yet another opportunity cost that has come to roost with Trump’s threats to impose broad 25% tariffs on all bilateral trade, including oil and gas.
"We have to recognize that and tap into that potential. That's a strength we have as a country."
Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston
While the prime minister and others like Ontario Premier Doug Ford have criticized Alberta’s Danielle Smith for refusing to agree to ‘take one for the team’ by curtailing cross border oil flows, others such as Saskatchewan’s Scott Moe and now Nova Scotia’s Houston have lamented the lost opportunity posed by the successive cancellations of pipelines to the east and west coasts.
“We have to, we have to recognize that and tap into that potential,” Houston said. “That's a strength we have as a country.
