Canada’s western and northern premiers are meeting in Edmonton in a effort to make the “western provinces and territories the source of Canada’s strength and economic growth.”
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney kicked off the annual Western Premiers’ Conference on Thursday morning at Government House in Edmonton.
“We’re all at the right place at the right time with the promise that western Canada offers with our resources, our well-educated people, the strength of our Indigenous people, our new Canadians and there is so much where we can work together to strengthen the federation and strengthen the economies of western Canada,” Kenney said.
“I hope through responsible resource development, we can keep down knocking down barriers to internal trade to recognize labour mobility, accelerate labour mobility and realize the promise of confederation.”
Kenney is hosting the premiers from British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the three territories for a one-day meeting.
The meeting is focused on issues brought forward by provincial leaders, including wildfire prevention, federal fiscal transfers, mental health and addiction, among others.
“We’ll also be talking about the importance asserting our sovereignty over the Arctic and we’re delighted to be joined by our territorial premiers here to help lead that conversation,” Kenney said.
“We’ll be talking about very important challenges in our different jurisdictions, including the western Canadian crisis in addictions, which is often connected to mental health challenges and I know a number of governments are very focused on that – ours certainly is.”
Watch below: Horgan and Kenney to meet face-to-face for first time
But the conference is being defined by the first face-to-face meeting between Kenney and B.C. Premier John Horgan. Horgan and Kenney met one-on-one briefly on Wednesday night before the official meeting kicked off.
“I met with the premier last night,” Horgan said before Thursday’s meeting. “We had a good conversation. Looking forward to the meeting today.”
Tension has been high between the two provinces. The Alberta government, both under Kenney and previously under Rachel Notley, placed blame on B.C. for standing in the way of the Trans Mountain expansion.
Watch below (April 15, 2018): Trudeau, Horgan and Notley talk pipeline politics in Ottawa
On Wednesday, both premiers were downplaying the feud between the two provinces over the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.
“I am a Canuck fan going to Oiler territory. I’m a Lions fan going to Eskimo territory,” Horgan said.
“But beyond that, I’m expecting positive discussions. My responsibility on the agenda is to talk about mental health and addiction and what British Columbia is doing. That is what I am going to be focused on because that is the requirement of the agenda.”
But even though the Trans Mountain pipeline and energy projects are not on the official agenda, it is expected that it will end up being a central part of the discussions.
“Both of our economies were built on resources,” Kenney said on Wednesday. “We don’t need Albertans and British Columbians going at it in some kind of phony war.
“We need a British Columbia government that respects the Canadian constitution.
“What we won’t accept is obstruction. But we want to find common ground.”
Watch below: Commencing Thursday in Edmonton, the annual conference allows premiers and governments from Canada’s four western provinces and three territorial governments to work together on important issues.