Latest news with #energycorridors
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ontario Premier Doug Ford pitches railway to Ring of Fire, Alberta is on board
Ontario signed an agreement with Alberta to build infrastructure and energy corridors that include a possible railway to the mineral-rich Ring of Fire region, the premiers of both provinces announced on Monday. Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith signed two non-legally binding memorandums of understanding about increasing trade and building energy corridors, including commitments to build oil and natural gas pipelines to northern and southern Ontario. Ford has been trying for years to build a critical mineral supply chain that would connect the mines in northern Ontario to processing facilities further south. It was first part of his vision to create an electric vehicle battery supply chain, after significant investments in several plants in recent years. Lately, Ford has been pitching mining the Ring of Fire region as another tool to fight U.S. President Donald Trump's ongoing trade war. "New rail lines would connect Ontario's Ring of Fire region, critical mineral mining projects and processing facilities to western Canadian ports as we build an end-to-end critical mineral supply chain," Ford said Monday at the Calgary Stampede alongside Smith. "This is how we diversify our trading partners, this is how we make ourselves less reliant on the United States." The two provinces will embark in the fall on a feasibility study on railways, pipelines and port projects. Two First Nations are currently leading environmental assessments on three roads that would connect the Ring of Fire region, and a current mining exploration site within the area called Eagle's Nest, to the provincial highway system. Ford's government recently passed legislation, known as Bill 5, that creates so-called special economic zones where provincial and municipal laws can be suspended for certain projects. Ford has said the province will name the Ring of Fire as the first such zone. Prime Minister Mark Carney's government recently passed similar legislation designed to fast track "nation building" projects. Both Ford and Carney want to see the Ring of Fire mined for its critical minerals and say they will respect First Nations' rights in the process. But the two new laws have sparked outrage from First Nations who say they weren't properly consulted about the legislation and their concerns are being ignored. First Nations have threatened blockades of highways, railways and mines in response. Several communities have begun mobilizing peacefully across different parts of Ontario. That included a four-day traffic slowdown along the Trans-Canada Highway by Netmizaaggamig Nishnaabeg, a First Nation north of Lake Superior. Attawapiskat and Neskantaga First Nations have set up an encampment near a proposed bridge to the Ring of Fire. And several Grassy Narrows First Nation members have set up an encampment in the park next to the Ontario legislature in downtown Toronto. Ontario and Alberta have signed the memorandum with the objective to "advance the safe transportation, domestic access and use, and international export of oil and gas and domestically-processed critical minerals by building a long-term collaborative relationship between the parties," the document said. The two provinces have agreed to collaborate in several areas, including the "development of rail infrastructure to support the subsequent phases of the Ring of Fire, including all critical mineral mining projects and the infrastructure needed to support them, as well as processing and refining capacity needed for an end-to-end Canadian critical minerals supply chain, including access to western Canadian ports." Ontario is also looking for support from the federal government to build a deep sea port in James Bay to get its critical minerals and Alberta's oil and gas to Atlantic Canada and overseas. Ontario New Democrat mining critic Jamie West said Ford is "putting the cart before the horse" and must repeal the new law. "Thanks to his power grab with Bill 5, the future of this entire project, jobs, and northern development is up in the air," he said in a statement. "Instead of taking the right steps to strengthen Ontario, the premier focused on running roughshod over First Nations and treaty rights, sowing more division in our province, and launching us into a summer of chaos and uncertainty." This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 7, 2025. Liam Casey, The Canadian Press
CTV News
08-07-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Economic agreement reached between Alberta and Ontario premiers
Alberta and Ontario are teaming up to study energy corridors between the two provinces. The premiers signed deals Monday after flipping pancakes.
CBC
26-06-2025
- Business
- CBC
Carney's 'nation-building' projects bill passes Senate — but not without Indigenous pushback
Social Sharing The Senate passed Prime Minister Mark Carney's landmark 'nation-building' projects bill unamended Thursday, giving the federal government extraordinary new powers to fast-track initiatives that have the potential to boost the economy as Canada grapples with the U.S. trade war. Carney's cabinet can now streamline the approvals process by allowing some projects to bypass provisions of federal laws like the Impact Assessment Act, which has long been criticized as a hindrance to getting things approved in a timely manner. While the legislation doesn't dictate what should be built, Carney has signalled it could be used to greenlight new energy "corridors" in the east and west, including possible pipelines and electricity grids, new and expanded port facilities, mines and other resource-related initiatives. Carney has framed the legislation as a way for Canada to fight back against American trade aggression, which has already stunted economic growth, prompted job loss and caused exports to drop. While the bill was approved by members of the Red Chamber, some senators strenuously opposed it, most of them citing Indigenous rights as the reason. Some members proposed amendments that would have delayed the bill's passage if adopted, but all were voted down. The legislation itself states the government will recognize, affirm and "respect" Indigenous Peoples' constitutional rights when considering a project to fast-track. But there's a fear among some leaders that the consultation process with First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities will be inadequate given Carney campaigned on making final decisions within a two-year timeline. These leaders want protections for what's called "free, prior and informed consent" in the Indigenous legal sphere. Paul Prosper, a Mi'kmaw senator from Nova Scotia, led the charge against the legislation in a speech to the chamber Thursday, quoting other First Nations leaders who called C-5 "not reconciliation" but a "betrayal of it." While saying he generally supports development, Prosper said he didn't want to quickly pass a bill that has been panned by some Indigenous leaders as the product of inadequate consultation with affected communities. WATCH | C-5 a 'betrayal' of reconciliation: Prosper: Bill C-5 a 'betrayal' of reconciliation, says Sen. Prosper in speech 3 hours ago Duration 6:39 He said the bill may empower government and industry to run roughshod over Indigenous rights when building a project. "No one wants to watch our children grow up in squalor, with no access to clean drinking water, no opportunity for good-paying jobs and no support for our sick and dying. However, we do not want success and progress to come on the backs of Indigenous Peoples. We want to be at the table, making decisions alongside Canadian politicians, because these decisions affect us. They affect our lands and resources," Prosper said. Prosper said it's the Senate's job to stand up for regional and minority interests and there's no reason to charge ahead after relatively little time to study C-5's provisions and the possible consequences. Prosper said his office has faced racist and abusive telephone calls in the days since he announced he would try to amend C-5 or slow it down. "The racist vitriol and threats my office experienced was so intense, staff asked for permission to not pick up unknown phone calls. That isn't right and it isn't acceptable," he said. WATCH | What is Bill C-5?: What is Bill C-5 and what might it mean for trade and pipelines? 3 days ago Duration 2:42 The federal bill takes aim at trade barriers between provinces and should make it easier to build big infrastructure projects. Some hope the bill will translate into pipeline development, but there is notable opposition to the legislation as well. Brian Francis, a Mi'kmaw senator from P.E.I., said there's no guarantee the promised economic benefits for fast-tracking projects will be "fairly shared with Indigenous Peoples." He said rushing through the bill could ultimately delay projects because of the potential for Indigenous-led lawsuits. "Are we truly in a crisis that warrants such exceptional and unprecedented measures?" Francis asked. Other senators questioned whether so quickly passing C-5 was necessary. Speaking of the economic threats, Sen. Bernadette Clement said: "This sometimes feels like an emergency, but is it?" "Growing our economy, nation-building. Yeah, that's urgent, it requires a timely and efficient response, but it doesn't require the trampling of Indigenous rights and our environmental protections," she said. In an address to the Toronto Board of Trade, Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson said C-5 is a "nation-defining piece of legislation" that will stand up a major projects office to move projects along quickly. Under this new regime, reviews will be "focused on 'how' the project will be built as opposed to 'whether' it will be built," to give proponents more certainty about investing in Canada, he said. "This act allows us to reset that narrative about building in Canada — so we can go from delay to delivery," he said.
CBC
03-06-2025
- Business
- CBC
Premiers are calling for an energy corridor. How will it work?
Kent Fellows, an energy economist at the University of Calgary, feels cautiously optimistic about the implementation of energy corridors mentioned at the first ministers' meeting in Saskatoon. He says it could lead to damages and delays if shortcuts are used in the projects, but it's about eliminating redundancies and improving the system of moving energy across the country — which will ultimately lead to positive outcomes — not about saving time.
