Alberta-B.C. dig in on pipeline feud

Gary Park

For Petroleum News

The premiers of Alberta and British Columbia agreed on one thing when they made another attempt to resolve differences over Enbridge’s Northern Gateway pipeline at a Calgary meeting Oct. 1.

They described the 15-minute meeting as “frosty,” effectively ruling out any hopes for an end to their impasse.

If anything tensions between the two — Alberta’s Alison Redford and British Columbia’s Christy Clark — escalated.

Clark said “we substantially disagree (on this issue). As it stands right now, there is absolutely no way that British Columbia will support (Northern Gateway).”

Redford said she had hoped Clark might soften her demand for a greater share of revenues from the C$6 billion pipeline project.

“I’m an Albertan and when you talk about sharing Alberta’s royalties with other jurisdictions, things tend to get a little bit frosty.

“I gave her the opportunity more than once to say that royalties weren’t on the table and she didn’t take that,” Redford said.

She added she told Clark several times that Northern Gateway is a commercial venture and as such a big part of the discussion has to take place between British Columbia and the private sector.

Clark insisted she has never made demands for a share of royalties, saying money is less important than her other demands, including environmental approval, a world-leading plan for handling spills from the pipeline or tankers and full consultation with First Nations.

Clark said she is leaving it up to Redford to “find the solutions.” Redford said she still doesn’t know what Clark wants.

Robert Roach, a spokesman for the independent Canada West Foundation, said it is universally agreed that Northern Gateway should be subject to tough environmental conditions, but there is no sign that Clark has much new to offer on that issue.

“It looks like it’s a bit more grandstanding,” he said. “She comes to Alberta and appeals to her base back in British Columbia.”

Adrian Dix, leader of the B.C. New Democratic Party, a clear front-runner in polls ahead of the provincial election scheduled for May 2013, said Clark is mishandling the discussions with Alberta.

“This is a serious issue and I don’t think British Columbians are being well represented on it,” he said.