Carney, Eby strike multibillion-dollar major projects deal ahead of West Coast pipeline announcement

Mike Hager Bill CurryDeputy Ottawa Bureau Chief Vancouver and ottawa Published YesterdayUpdated 3 hours ago Open this photo in gallery: Prime Minister Mark Carney announces a multibillion-dollar deal with B. Premier David Eby in Vancouver on Thursday. ETHAN CAIRNS/The Canadian Press Save for laterPlease log in to bookmark this story. Log InCreate Free Account British Columbia has extracted tens of billions of dollars from Ottawa to speed up the development of several major infrastructure projects, while also pledging not to obstruct any new bitumen pipeline that doesn’t touch tidewater on its North Coast. Hours before Prime Minister Mark Carney met with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith Thursday evening to announce details of their push for a new pipeline, he stood beside B. Premier David Eby in Vancouver to roll out nearly $20-billion in federal commitments to the province. These projects will “catalyze” more than $200-billion in new investments that will help Canada double its non-U. S. exports over the next decade, Mr. Ottawa also said it would leave in place its ban on tankers loading or unloading oil from B. The key environmental safeguard had been thought to be on the negotiating table as part of the November memorandum of understanding between the federal and Alberta governments that set the stage for the pipeline proposal. Eby brushed aside a question at Thursday’s news conference about whether the federal money was a quid pro quo for not opposing an Alberta pipeline being routed through B. Alberta to propose southern route for new West Coast pipeline, sources say “To look at this as an Alberta agreement is, again, to do a disservice to British Columbia and the remarkable and incredible growth that is happening in this province,” he told reporters. “This is a B. C. projects; it is a commitment to what makes this province amazing – our pristine North Coast; it is a recognition in our role in co-operative federalism across the country that we play every single day.” He added that his province “found out the hard way” that it can’t oppose pipelines when the Supreme Court of Canada in 2020 rejected B. C.’s efforts to thwart the twinning of the Trans Mountain pipeline. Smith has long made clear that a pipeline between Alberta’s oil sands and B. C.’s North Coast is her preferred route. But several coastal First Nations, backed by Mr. Eby, voiced strong opposition to any such project.