PIPELINE RULING ‘REALLY HURT’

But PM vague on what comes next

EDMONTON Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had reassuring words for Albertans as he met with Premier Rachel Notley on Wednesday to discuss the turbulent Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.

But while the two joined forces and promised to find a solution to the ongoing saga, Trudeau fell short of agreeing to the demands laid out by Notley following the recent court ruling that cast the project into doubt.

“Albertans were disappointed, as were many Canadians, with the decision. It was a hard blow to a province that has come through a difficult time,” Trudeau said during a brief photo opportunity with media ahead of the meeting. “This really hit hard.”

Last Thursday, the Federal Court of Appeal found fault with the National Energy Board review that Ottawa used to approve the pipeline expansion in 2016. The federal government also failed in its duty to engage in meaningful consultations with First Nations, said the written ruling.

The decision marked a triumph for Indigenous groups and environmentalists who opposed the project and spurred Kinder Morgan Canada Ltd. to halt construction-related activities to twin the existing pipeline from Strathcona County to Burnaby, B.C.

At the Hotel Macdonald, Trudeau and Notley shared a polite handshake and touted the project’s importance.

But Notley said the court ruling alone won’t lead to a solution.

“It’s probably not going to get us there,” she told reporters.

Last week, Notley spelled out three demands in light of the unexpected delay — an immediate appeal of the court ruling to the Supreme Court, a recall of Parliament to address the issue and better consultation with Indigenous groups.

On Wednesday, Trudeau didn’t specify whether Ottawa would accede to those demands and said his government is considering its options, including legislation and an appeal.

“We are also looking at what it would take to actually go through the steps that the court has laid out,” he told reporters.

“I understand how, after difficult years because of oil prices and the beginning of optimism about getting this important pipeline expansion built, this really hurt.”

Trudeau’s curated Edmonton tour included pit stops relevant to the oil and gas industry. At NAIT, he used a pipette while speaking with researchers about bitumen extraction processes before unveiling the school’s new Productivity and Innovation Centre.

Later he visited Canmet-ENERGY’s Devon Research Centre, a government facility working to develop cleaner oilsands processes and technology. He spoke to a researcher developing a potentially more efficient method to prepare oil for pipeline transport.

Last week, Notley pulled her support from Trudeau’s pan-Canadian climate change plan just hours after the court ruling was released.

“Without Alberta, that plan isn’t worth the paper it’s written on,” she told reporters at the time, adding the move sent a clear message to Ottawa to get its act together.

On Wednesday she wouldn’t specify what she thinks is the best move for the federal government now, but did say it has legislative powers it could use.

“We absolutely cannot be held hostage to a regulatory merry-goround that never ends,” she said at the opening of a new K-9 school in Spruce Grove.

She said she wants to speak with Trudeau about the best way to fulfil the need for additional consultations while getting the people building the pipeline back to work.

Meaningful consultation with parties affected by the pipeline should accommodate their concerns, not give them veto power over the project, she said.

“I reject a scenario that has us talking until everybody says ‘yes.’ That’s not how it can work.”

In response to a question from media about what meaningful consultation would involve, Trudeau hinted at further discussions with Indigenous groups along the pipeline route. “Are there proposals around shifting the route a bit, around mitigating possible impacts that do make it a better process?” he said.

Trudeau said the court ruling is about more than just one pipeline, and showed the need for better environmental assessments and Indigenous engagement. He also touted his record compared to Conservative governments.

“Can you imagine what the court ruling would have said if Stephen Harper had still been prime minister?” he said.

The Trans Mountain pipeline was at a dead-end until Ottawa stepped in, he said. “If that project expansion was still in private hands, that court of appeal ruling would have killed it.”

Both Trudeau and Notley repeated that they believe the expansion will get built.

The federal government’s $4.5-billion investment to purchase the existing Trans Mountain pipeline should give citizens confidence the government is committed to seeing the expansion completed, Notley said. Ottawa also committed to invest an additional $7.4 billion for the expansion.

“We would like to see shovels in the ground as quickly as possible,” Trudeau said.