EDMONTON – Premier Alison Redford is “disappointed” with B.C. Premier Christy Clark’s suggestion that Albertans aren’t concerned about the environmental issues associated with the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline.
“It’s absolutely not a fair statement,” Redford said Thursday, a day after Clark criticized Albertans’ environmental awareness and said there was a “big cultural divide” between the two provinces.
“Albertans are very proud of the fact that we have always been able to balance economic development and social and environmental sustainability,” Redford said.
“I believe that Albertans are very proud of … what our record has been, and I’m disappointed to hear those comments.”
Clark told Global News Wednesday “there is a big cultural divide” between Alberta and B.C. when it comes to the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline.
“The environmental issues are issues that I don’t think Albertans have really thought about a lot,” Clark said.
“I don’t think people from Alberta really understand how much we cherish our coast, how much we cherish our environment here.”
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The salvo is the latest in war of words that began when Clark’s government issued a list of five demands that must be met before B.C. will endorse construction of the Northern Gateway pipeline.
If approved, the pipeline would run from near Edmonton to the port at Kitimat, B.C., and Alberta needs it to export oil sands to new markets in India and China.
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In part, Clark has demanded a “fair share” of the wealth created by the pipeline. Redford has said in response that Canada’s constitution protects Alberta’s right to keep revenues from the sale of its resources.
In her speech at the Meet the North conference in Edmonton Thursday, Redford said the impasse has become a “national” issue.
“The infrastructure that is needed to export our energy to new markets must cross other jurisdictions, and the social licence to expand production and build new pipelines is a national issue,” Redford said.
“The Canadian Energy Strategy is a solution to this. … Each province and territory will retain sovereignty over its natural resources and will be able to make the most of them and contribute to a national economy.”
N.W.T. Premier Bob McLeod wouldn’t comment on the dispute between the two southern premiers but hinted that aboriginal ownership of part of the proposed pipeline could help get it built.
He said the approval of the controversial Mackenzie Valley Pipeline from the Beaufort Sea to Alberta was helped by aboriginal ownership.
“It’s a bit different because the Mackenzie pipeline provided for one-third of the ownership of the pipeline (for aboriginals), which I don’t believe the Northern Gateway does,” McLeod said. “I know that it helped us quite a bit to have aboriginal ownership.”
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