ECONOMIC BENEFITS: B.C. ALBERTA

TOURISM DOLLARS

B.C. may have Pacific coastline and a mild climate to play up on glossy travel brochures, but Alberta has its own pull as a tourist destination. Alberta’s tourism industry is worth more than $8 billion a year to its economy with draws that include Rocky Mountain locales, northern lights getaways, Edmonton’s massive mall and world famous events like the Calgary Stampede. Outside of Albertans enjoying a staycation, British Columbians are the province’s major source of tourists. There were more than a million overnight visits recorded by B.C. residents in 2015, representing eight per cent of total visitation. Visits from B.C., Saskatchewan and other Canadian provinces were collectively worth $1.5 billion to Alberta, according to an analysis of 2015 travel statistics published last August by the Alberta government. Road traffic between the two provinces is heavy, with more than 8.15 million vehicles travelling through the Banff Park gate in 2016. The Jasper Park Gate recorded nearly 1.7 million trips that same year.

BEEF

It will come as a surprise to nobody that B.C. loves to chow down on Alberta beef. According to Stats Can., British Columbian women consume, on average, about 14.5 kilograms of red meat each year, and men eat close to 26 kilograms. Beef production contributes around $15 billion to Canada’s GDP each year. Most of it comes from Alberta’s pastures, where more than 70 per cent of Canada’s beef is processed. Alberta exports $554 million of fresh and frozen beef and veal to B.C. Alberta also exports a fair chunk of leather to its western neighbours. According to the most recent statistics, in 2014 Alberta textiles — including leather — made up about $5.5 million worth of B.C. imports.

OIL AND GAS

The oilsands region has long been a driver of Alberta’s economic prowess and despite the most recent industry downturn, B.C. is dependent on Alberta energy. The current Kinder Morgan Inc. Trans Mountain pipeline supplies about 90 per cent of the fuel for Vancouver and the southern coast. About 25 per cent of B.C.’s fuel demands are supplied by Chevron’s Burnaby refinery, which is a Trans Mountain customer and buys from Alberta. B.C. imported $3.2 billion in refined petroleum products and $1.3 billion in fossil fuels from Alberta, according to the most recent interprovincial trade data from Statistics Canada reported in 2014. But with around 300,000 barrels per day of batch products — crude oil, gas, jet fuel, refined petroleum — moving through the pipeline, there’s a catch. While Trans Mountain allows Alberta to sell to B.C., it’s also an essential corridor for Alberta companies to access U.S. and overseas markets. A third of Alberta oil is carried to market through the pipeline.

NON-ALCOHOLIC FOOD AND BEVERAGES

Non-alcoholic food and beverage exports from Alberta to B.C. make up a whopping $1.3 billion in trade. That’s a lot of prize-winning Sylvan Star Grizzly Gouda, Brassica mustard, Cheemo perogies and Porters tonic syrups. Fun fact: Alberta has more than 50 million acres of total farmland area used for crop and livestock production, and a good chunk of that produces ingredients for processed products, some of which end up in B.C. Alberta would love to send more of its craft beer west, but B.C.’s relatively closed market for alcohol sales makes that virtually impossible. Calgary-based Big Rock has a brewery in B.C. to help it access the local market.

GRAINS AND FARM PRODUCTS

Golden layers of farmland scattered with hay bales offer up more than just beautiful scenery driving through the Prairies. Alberta exported $83.7 million in grains and other crop products to B.C. in 2014, according to the most recent interprovincial trade data from Stats Can. That includes canola, oilseeds and wheat. Along with Manitoba and Saskatchewan, Alberta is a formidable grower of Canadian canola, which contributes $26.7 billion to the national economy, according to the Canola Council of Canada. But 90 per cent of the product is exported globally as seed. B.C. spent more than double what it purchased in grain on farm products, such as animal feed, fertilizer and unprocessed milk. In 2014, the province paid Alberta nearly $183 million for farm products.