TRUDEAU COMES TO TOWN
PM visits ahead of pipeline deadline
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was in Edmonton on Monday ahead of a fast-approaching deadline handed down by Kinder Morgan Inc. to settle shareholder doubts over the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.
“There’s 17 days to go before the prospective cancellation of the Trans Mountain pipeline,” Alberta Opposition leader Jason Kenney told reporters before the scheduled visit. “The premier should take every possible opportunity to meet with the prime minister and demand action on Trans Mountain.”
Trudeau visited Gurdwara Millwoods ahead of a parade Sunday to celebrate the Sikh Vaisakhi festival.
Trudeau was greeted by a celebratory congregation, who gave him a ceremonial sword and plaque to commemorate the visit. Trudeau — the focus of hundreds of selfie photos from excited temple members — also donated food to Edmonton’s Food Bank and helped serve a meal at the Sikh place of worship.
“It was a huge honour because there are many gurdwaras throughout Canada,” said Amritpal Singh Matharu, general secretary of the Ramgarhia Gursikh Society of Edmonton, which is associated with the gurdwara. “Everyone was very appreciative. It was very busy.”
He made an early appearance at the gurdwara because he won’t be at Sunday’s parade, his spokesperson Eleanore Catenaro said Monday.
Trudeau, who was accompanied by Edmonton-Mill Woods Liberal MP Amarjeet Sohi, isn’t slated to meet with provincial government officials during his trip.
Premier Rachel Notley said last week that Ottawa is in “serious and determined discussions” with Alberta and Kinder Morgan and that she’s confident a pipeline will be built to tidewater. She wouldn’t divulge details about the talks with the company.
Kinder Morgan cast a shadow over the $7.4-billion project last month when it spelled out a May 31 deadline to restore shareholder confidence.
The company stopped non-essential spending on the expansion while B.C. continues to square off with Alberta over environmental concerns.
“It sounds a lot like there are backroom negotiations about a federal-provincial buyout of some form of the pipeline,” Kenney said Monday, adding that option should be a last resort.
“The federal government has not made good on its pledge to bring forward legislation asserting federal jurisdiction,” he added.
Trudeau’s visit comes amid an upswing in the price of oil. The North American benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude recently hit its highest price since the fall of 2014 at around US$71 a barrel.
“It’s great for the energy sector and all the spinoff that happens as a result of that,” Finance Minister Joe Ceci said Monday.
“More importantly, we need pipeline access to a Canadian coast to our west.”
Trudeau’s last visit to Edmonton was in February when he answered questions at a town hall that drew around 1,400 people. The stop was part of a cross-country tour where he took questions from the public on topics ranging from the Trans Mountain project to Crown-Indigenous relations.
He also paid a visit to Mill Woods during that one-day visit, where he spoke with supporters at a local seniors association, before taking a tour of the Tawa Park Drainage Improvements site with Mayor Don Iveson.
On Tuesday, Trudeau and Sohi, federal minister of infrastructure and communities, are making stops in both Edmonton and Calgary to make announcements.
They are set to speak at Edmonton City Hall at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday along with federal Transport Minister Marc Garneau.