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Bell: 'It's lunacy' — Alberta pushes Carney to drop Liberal electric vehicle fantasy
Bell: 'It's lunacy' — Alberta pushes Carney to drop Liberal electric vehicle fantasy

Edmonton Journal

time4 days ago

  • Politics
  • Edmonton Journal

Bell: 'It's lunacy' — Alberta pushes Carney to drop Liberal electric vehicle fantasy

Article content Freeland was in Calgary this week and, as my last column pointed out, she said the Carney Liberals love Alberta. We will see how that works out and we will get to that letter in a minute. 'The reason why the Liberals don't reverse this policy is unfathomable. I just don't understand it.' says Dreeshen. 'For ridiculous things like this, where's there is no obvious logic behind it, I think it would have to be just pure partisan Liberal politics where they think this somehow appeals to their base, where they can score political points with their base.

Bell: 'It's lunacy' — Alberta pushes Carney to drop Liberal electric vehicle fantasy
Bell: 'It's lunacy' — Alberta pushes Carney to drop Liberal electric vehicle fantasy

Calgary Herald

time4 days ago

  • Automotive
  • Calgary Herald

Bell: 'It's lunacy' — Alberta pushes Carney to drop Liberal electric vehicle fantasy

'It's lunacy. Straight-up lunacy.' Article content The words come from Devin Dreeshen, the Alberta government's point man on transportation. Article content Article content He has nothing against electric vehicles, EVs for short. You want one, buy one. Article content He just doesn't think the government in Ottawa should be ramming the purchase of them down people's throats. Article content Article content Oh, the Liberals. Oh, how they like to tell us how to live. Article content Article content Within ten years, all new vehicles must be electric. Article content Dreeshen has plenty to say. On Friday, he fired off a letter to Chrystia Freeland, Prime Minister Mark Carney's minister of transport. Article content Freeland was in Calgary this week and, as my last column pointed out, she said the Carney Liberals love Alberta. Article content We will see how that works out and we will get to that letter in a minute. Article content 'The reason why the Liberals don't reverse this policy is unfathomable. I just don't understand it.' says Dreeshen. Article content 'For ridiculous things like this, where's there is no obvious logic behind it, I think it would have to be just pure partisan Liberal politics where they think this somehow appeals to their base, where they can score political points with their base. Article content Article content 'But it damages and it hurts Canadians and that's where the Liberals, I hope, would be able to look past their partisanship to do what's right for the country.' Article content The Smith government transportation minister speaks of freedom of choice for people 'to buy a vehicle they actually want versus the government forcing them to buy a vehicle they don't want.' Article content Article content 'It's a little unnerving they haven't reversed this policy,' he says. Article content What's the problem? Article content Dumping the policy is easy. Just announce it. Article content Low-hanging fruit, no heavy-lifting, a gift from the political gods.

'This is how world-class cities are built': Construction of Green Line back on track
'This is how world-class cities are built': Construction of Green Line back on track

Calgary Herald

time6 days ago

  • Business
  • Calgary Herald

'This is how world-class cities are built': Construction of Green Line back on track

Article content Smith, in her speech, said the first phase of the Green Line will improve transit access in the southeast, providing tens of thousands of Calgarians an alternative method of transportation to reach the core and connect to the rest of the city's transit network. Article content 'That will take cars off the streets and less traffic means less gridlock and stress for everyone,' she said. Article content The first phase sets the Green Line up to eventually extend as far south as Seton, Smith added. Article content 'This means more opportunity to spur future development based around LRT and more jobs and growth.' Article content Technically, the Green Line has been under construction before, including property demolitions along the southeast segment of the alignment and belowground utility relocations in the Beltline and downtown. Article content Article content But Thursday marked the first time work has been underway since September 2024, when the Alberta government withdrew its $1.5-billion funding commitment over differences in how the project should be handled. While the city favoured a belowground tunnel through the core, the province preferred an aboveground solution that avoided potential cost overruns resulting from tunnelling. Article content The about-face from the province led to city council voting to wind down work on the project in mid-September, even though more than $1 billion had already been spent and cancelling the project would likely cost an additional $850 million in contract and legal costs. Article content Council heard from the independent Green Line board (which disbanded shortly afterward) that the Green Line would not be feasible without provincial support. Article content Article content Though the Green Line appeared to have been killed, the province commissioned engineering firm AECOM to come up with the alternative downtown alignment, which the firm presented in December. The province argued avoiding tunnelling would shave $1 billion off the budget, allowing the first leg of the Green Line to extend further south than the truncated alignment the city had approved last July. Article content Article content With the province and city back at the table, city council, begrudgingly, approved the revised plan in January, after months of tense back-and-forth rhetoric between Gondek and Dreeshen. Article content The federal government approved the revised business plan in March, allowing construction on the southeast segment to advance. Article content Asked Thursday how the project will avoid future turmoil, Dreeshen said a new governance committee including provincial and city officials will meet regularly to check in on the Green Line's progress and make sure the LRT proceeds on time and on budget. Article content 'There's more collaboration now than there's ever been,' he said. 'So that's a major way of how we can make sure that there isn't any surprises in the construction.'

Alberta minister 'cautiously optimistic' about tanker ban reversal after northern B.C. visit
Alberta minister 'cautiously optimistic' about tanker ban reversal after northern B.C. visit

Calgary Herald

time18-06-2025

  • Business
  • Calgary Herald

Alberta minister 'cautiously optimistic' about tanker ban reversal after northern B.C. visit

OTTAWA — Alberta's point man on a massive western corridor project says he's 'cautiously optimistic' about getting rid of a major roadblock to the construction of a new West Coast oil and gas pipeline after visiting British Columbia's northern coast. Article content Devin Dreeshen, the province's minister of transportation and economic corridors, told the National Post that he was struck by the level of opposition among locals to the federal moratorium on northern B.C. oil tanker traffic, with several pointing out that the ban does nothing to stop tankers coming and going from nearby Alaska. Article content Article content Article content 'When you go out there and you look at (the coastline), there's almost an oil tanker a day going down from Alaska,' said Dreeshen. Article content Article content 'So, when you look at American tankers going north and south along the coastline, but us not allowing our Canadian tankers to go straight west, away from the coastline… The hypocrisy (of the situation) was pointed out by a lot of folks,' he noted. Article content '(People are) saying that we should be able to compete the same way the U.S. and other countries do, by being able to ship our oil out to our tankers.' Article content Dreeshen was in the northern port city of Prince Rupert, B.C., last week to strengthen Alberta's ties to the critical Pacific trade outpost, joined by Alberta Indigenous Relations Minister Rajan Sawhney and members of Alberta's Industrial Heartland Association. Article content Alberta already moves nearly $4 billion of merchandise through the Port of Prince Rupert annually — including propane, agricultural products and wood pulp — but both Dreeshen and his boss, Premier Danielle Smith, think that this number could be much bigger. Article content Article content Smith said in a May letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney that Prince Rupert would make the ideal endpoint for a new pipeline carrying Alberta oil to non-U.S. markets. Article content 'As (one of) North America's closest ports to Asia… the Port of Prince Rupert offer(s) year-round deep-water ports and existing terminal infrastructure,' wrote Smith. Article content The letter called for Carney to repeal the tanker ban to enable oil exports from the Port of Prince Rupert. Article content Smith called for a 'grand bargain' at this month's first ministers' meeting in Saskatoon where some of the revenue from a new northwest coast pipeline would be used to finance the multibillion-dollar Pathways oilsands decarbonization project.

Alberta minister 'cautiously optimistic' about tanker ban reversal after northern B.C. visit
Alberta minister 'cautiously optimistic' about tanker ban reversal after northern B.C. visit

Vancouver Sun

time18-06-2025

  • Business
  • Vancouver Sun

Alberta minister 'cautiously optimistic' about tanker ban reversal after northern B.C. visit

OTTAWA — Alberta's point man on a massive western corridor project says he's 'cautiously optimistic' about getting rid of a major roadblock to the construction of a new West Coast oil and gas pipeline after visiting British Columbia's northern coast. Devin Dreeshen, the province's minister of transportation and economic corridors, told the National Post that he was stuck by the level of opposition among locals to the federal moratorium on northern B.C. oil tanker traffic , with several pointing out that the ban does nothing to stop tankers coming and going from nearby Alaska. 'When you go out there and you look at (the coastline), there's almost an oil tanker a day going down from Alaska,' said Dreeshen. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'So, when you look at American tankers going north and south along the coastline, but us not allowing our Canadian tankers to go straight west, away from the coastline… The hypocrisy (of the situation) was pointed out by a lot of folks,' he noted. '(People are) saying that we should be able to compete the same way the U.S. and other counties do, by being able to ship our oil out to our tankers.' Dreeshen was in the northern port city of Prince Rupert, B.C., last week to strengthen Alberta's ties to the critical Pacific trade outpost, joined by Alberta Indigenous Relations Minister Rajan Sawhney and members of Alberta's Industrial Heartland Association. Alberta already moves nearly $4 billion of merchandise through the Port of Prince Rupert annually — including propane, agricultural products and wood pulp — but both Dreeshen and his boss, Premier Danielle Smith, think that this number could be much bigger. Smith said in a May letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney that Prince Rupert would make the ideal endpoint for a new pipeline carrying Alberta oil to non-U.S. markets. 'As (one of) North America's closest ports to Asia… the Port of Prince Rupert offer(s) year-round deep-water ports and existing terminal infrastructure,' wrote Smith. The letter called for Carney to repeal the tanker ban to enable oil exports from the Port of Prince Rupert. Smith called for a 'grand bargain' at this month's first ministers' meeting in Saskatoon where some of the revenue from a new northwest coast pipeline would be used to finance the multibillion-dollar Pathways oilsands decarbonization project. Dreeshen said that his work in building out a rail and transit network from central Alberta's industrial heartland to northern B.C. and the premier's pipeline advocacy are 'two sides of the same coin.' Both B.C. Premier David Eby and Prince Rupert Mayor Herb Pond say they support the North Coast tanker ban. The moratorium was first called by Justin Trudeau shortly after he became prime minister in late 2015, effectively killing the Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline to Kitimat, B.C. It was signed into law in 2019 . Chris Sankey, a member of the local Tsimshian community of Lax Kw'Alaams, says the tanker ban was rushed, and put into place without the adequate consultation of those affected. 'It didn't give a platform for the Indigenous communities to get in the room and have a discussion, leadership to leadership … It was a decision that's now come back to hurt Indigenous people's ability to have an open and honest discussion about energy, infrastructure, and port development,' said Sankey. 'This is an opportunity to amend the ban (in a way) that aligns with Indigenous communities' interests and concerns that we protect what we have and grow the economy.' Sankey, now an investment advisor, ran unsuccessfully for the B.C. Conservatives in last year's provincial election. The office of federal Transport Minister Chrystia Freeland didn't immediately respond to an inquiry from the National Post about the possibility of reversing the tanker ban. National Post rmohamed@ Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .

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