Energy leaders say Manitoba premier's project push signals possible shift in Canada's energy policy

CALGARY — Energy sector leaders say that Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew’s push for a northern energy corridor through the Port of Churchill is a sign of a possible political shift in Canada towards economic pragmatism, despite there still being hurdles to getting major energy projects moving forward.Last week, Kinew told the The Globe and Mail that the Liberal government wanted to start shipping liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the Port of Churchill by 2030 in what the premier called “a nation-building project” that would likely include the construction of a new pipeline to the Hudson Bay region.Speaking at the National Coalition of Chiefs Energy Summit in Calgary on Tuesday, Stephen Buffalo, CEO of the Indian Resource Council, said Kinew’s actions demonstrate an understanding that resource development is essential to funding social programs..“[Kinew] said it right at the very beginning — it’s the economic horse that pulls the social cart,” Buffalo said, adding that natural resource revenue can help governments and indigenous communities address issues such as infrastructure failures, among others.“He's identified that the natural resources are gonna be the key component to [dealing with social issues] other than collecting taxpayer dollars.”Buffalo stated that Kinew is currently navigating factions within the broader NDP, where some figures such as newly elected federal leader Avi Lewis remain opposed to oil and gas development.“He’s walking a fine line,” Buffalo said.“He met with Mark Carney, they set some timelines and I hope it goes through.”Arctic Gateway Group LP, a partnership of 41 northern communities and First Nations, has been conducting “feasibility studies” with Manitoba and Ottawa to gather industry opinions about the possible Churchill export hub and energy corridor.Proposals for what has been tentatively titled the “Port of Churchill Plus” envision the project as a corridor which would transport LNG, fertilizer, mineral ores, oil, potash and other agricultural products from Western Canada to Hudson Bay and then onto international markets..Canada's LNG projects need immediate action to capture Asian demand.Michael Binnion, founder of Questerre Energy Corporation, said political support alone will not determine whether a possible export route will get built.“At the end of the day, these projects are infrastructure,” Binnion said.“If there’s no consumer and there’s no producer, there’s no need for the transportation and processing infrastructure in between.”He added that any pipeline or LNG export proposal through Churchill would require concrete commitments from gas producers and overseas buyers before investors would proceed.“Are there people who produce gas who would love to sell their gas through there?” he said.“At this point in time, I haven't seen a particular customer or a shipper put their hand up and say, ‘we wanna build that,’ yet.”Beyond the project itself, Binnion argued that Kinew’s position could possibly signal a shift in the political culture, moving past a left-wing, right-wing paradigm, with a coalition coming together in agreement on pushing economic benefits and good government.“There could be a new political coalition developing of people that don't care whether you're left-wing or right-wing, they don't care about your political ideology. They would just like some decent government,” he said.“Wab Kinew, NDP, gets elected, says, ‘first thing we need to do is build the economy and pipelines.’ Even our own mayor, [Jeromy Farkas], who is a very strong Eastern European national-type conservative, has really shifted to say, ‘No, I just wanna deliver good government to the city of Calgary,’ and managed to build a left- and right-wing coalition.“I think there's something interesting happening here.”

Energy leaders say Manitoba premier's project push signals possible shift in Canada's energy policy

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