Ontario Premier Doug Ford and his Alberta counterpart Danielle Smith unveiled two memoranda of understanding Monday, aimed at more closely connecting the Canadian economy through fresh pipelines and railways.
Ford has served as the chair of the Council of the Federation this year, leading the premiers in a push for free trade and better cooperation between provinces and has signed deals with various provinces.
Ontario has agreed to eliminate a variety of trade barriers with places like Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Now, Ford is moving to partner on the planning stage of ambitious new projects.
Ahead of the signing, Ford and Energy Minister Stephen Lecce held a roundtable with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and government officials to discuss their alignment on energy exports.
“The best way to protect Canadian workers from tariffs and economic uncertainty is to build the infrastructure that will get our resources to new markets,” Ford said on social media.“ We discussed how we can build new pipelines, rail lines and ports that will help us export Canadian critical minerals and energy to new customers around the world.”
The new agreements announced Monday will see Alberta and Ontario work together to plan for an east-west pipeline made using Ontario steel, connecting to Ontario’s planned James Bay deep-sea port in the province’s north.The two provinces will also study the feasibility of railway lines to and from the mineral-rich Ring of Fire in northern Ontario to processing facilities and ports in the west.“ Alberta and Ontario are joining forces to get shovels in the ground and resources to market,” said Premier Smith in a statement. “These MOUs are about building pipelines and boosting trade that connect Canadian energy and products to the world, while advocating for the right conditions to get it done.”
During the snap election campaign, Ford pledged to support the Energy East, Northern Gateway and pipeline projects to Canada’s northern coast.
The move has been framed as a national security necessity, with a current Alberta-Ontario oil pipeline snaking into the United States.
“We have the Governor of Michigan constantly threatening to shut down the pipeline — do you know the disaster that would create in Ontario?” he said.
“It would basically shut down Pearson International Airport, the largest airport in the country, prices would go through the roof.”
Ontario and Alberta sign agreements to study new pipeline, railway projects
