Time is ripe for Northern Corridor

The Northern Corridor project was conceived as a utility and transportation corridor designed to promote interprovincial and international trade, and to encourage development of mid-Canada resources. From the standpoint of long-term economic and social benefit in the age of globalization, this concept has potential equal to or greater than the building of the Canadian Pacific Railroad.

The primary obstacle to commencing is political. Successful implementation requires a corridor be established from coast to coast to coast, requiring federal and provincial governments to agree on the terms, conditions, and regulatory authority governing the Northern Corridor. There is a precedent for national initiatives to prevail over provincial lands in special circumstances. Examples are CPR land and rights of way, Department of National Defence lands in various provinces, and First Nations reservations.

This is a nation-building project and deserves 100 per cent federal commitment.

The stars may now be aligned to gain the federal and provincial government agreement to transition from an interesting research project to active development. From the recent federal-provincial conference we learned that seven of 10 provincial premiers have expressed agendas that are clearly supportive of the Northern Corridor concept. R. Cheadle, Calgary