Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston is urging the leader of the Bloc Quebecois to reconsider his opposition to pipeline projects like Energy East, a call echoed by Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe.
Yves-François Blanchet last month rejected the idea of any pipeline through Quebec.
Houston made the plea in a Feb. 28 letter to Blanchet, saying that Canada is at a time where national unity and self-sufficiency are needed, and that opposition to energy projects runs counter to other provinces’ efforts to remove trade barriers to reduce the country’s dependence on foreign trade. This comes as U.S. President Donald Trump said this week that tariffs on Canada will take effect March 4.
“Your eagerness to disparage opportunities for ALL Canadians for energy security and intentionally alienate Atlantic Canada is appalling,” Houston wrote. “In our national interest, I would ask you to reconsider your position.”
Houston was referring Blanchet’s remarks in early February that the Bloc Quebecois is “fiercely opposed to any type of transport on Quebec territory of hydrocarbons from Western Canada to any market whatsoever.”
“It does not serve Quebec. It does not serve the environment. It does not serve the planet,” he told reporters in French during a Feb. 6 press conference, adding that potential U.S. tariffs can’t be used as an excuse to ignore ecological considerations.
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In his letter, Houston said he was “blown away” by Blanchet’s “comments around energy dependence” and his opposition to reviving a project like Energy East, a pipeline that would have moved Alberta oil to Eastern Canada. The project was cancelled in 2017 amid falling oil prices, opposition from environmental groups, and stricter environmental regulations.
Trump said on Feb. 27 that his 25 percent tariff on Canadian goods and 10 percent tariff on Canadian oil and gas will kick in on March 4.
Amid U.S. tariff threats, Canada has seen renewed calls to boost interprovincial trade and reduce dependence on foreign markets. A recent survey found that nearly eight in 10 Canadians are in favour of establishing pipelines across the country, with support also coming from provinces such as British Columbia and Quebec, where pipeline projects have previously faced opposition.
Premier Smith endorsed Houston’s call, saying the Bloc leader should put aside his “anti-Alberta energy” stance and “prioritize the economic interests of all Canadians—including Quebecers.”
“Quebec Premier François Legault and I are already working together to tackle crime and strengthen Arctic sovereignty with icebreaker ships. Why not extend that cooperation to include more interprovincial trade in energy? Or is the plan to keep relying on the Americans for Quebec’s energy needs?” Smith wrote in a Feb. 28 social media post.
Premier Moe thanked Houston for his request to Blanchet, saying in a Feb. 28 social media post that “one leader is building Canada while another wants to destroy it.”
Alberta is Canada’s largest oil producer, followed by Saskatchewan.
Legault said last month that projects like the Energy East pipeline are still not supported in his province, but that could change with the shifting trade landscape brought about by Trump’s tariff threats.
“If there’s a social acceptability, we will be open to these kinds of projects. But right now, there’s no social acceptability,” he said at a Feb. 3 press conference in Montreal.
Houston has been a vocal supporter of increasing interprovincial trade and boosting Canada’s self-reliance in the face of U.S. tariffs. Earlier this week, the premier introduced legislation that would reduce restrictions on the sale of out-of-province goods and services in Nova Scotia for provinces that adopt similar measures.
Jennifer Cowan contributed to this report.
