NDP unveils website to include Canadians in fight against B.C. government

EDMONTON The province has launched a website for Albertans to drill home to Canadians the importance of the $7.4-billion Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.

It’s the latest in a series of steps Alberta is taking in a pipeline battle with British Columbia.

The website, Keep Canada Working (https://www.alberta.ca/keepcanadaworking.aspx), was unveiled Tuesday.

It features links to ways Canadians can take action — contact their MP or MLA, for example, or sign a petition demanding B.C. Premier John Horgan honour the rules of Confederation and “stop standing in the way of working Canadians.”

People can also upload a video explaining why the Trans Mountain pipeline matters to their family. There’s even a hashtag to use on social media — #KeepCanadaWorking.

The website and tools cost approximately $10,000 to develop and maintain. The budget for the campaign, including promotion of the tools and website, along with videos launched earlier this month, is $280,000.

The fight against B.C. isn’t something one government can do alone, Premier Rachel Notley said in a statement.

“We need all of us working together to make sure the B.C. government fully understands why this pipeline matters, why good jobs matter and why the rules of our country matter,” she said.

Notley has given B.C. and Ottawa a few days to figure out the spat, or face more economic consequences from Alberta.

The battle kicked off late last month when Horgan said his province would restrict increases in bitumen shipments from Alberta until more spill response studies are conducted.

The problem is, provinces don’t have the authority to regulate what goes through pipelines — that’s in the federal government’s court.

Notley blasted Horgan’s move as unconstitutional, and in retaliation last week launched a B.C. wine boycott.