Ontario Premier Doug Ford, the current chair of the premiers’ conference, says yesterday’s first ministers meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney was the best in the last ten years.
The provincial and territorial leaders met with Carney to each present their five favourite infrastructure projects they’d like to see get going as soon as possible.
Carney asked for the lists last month, promising to fast-track some of them under legislation he plans to introduce in Parliament.
The approvals process for those chosen would be cut from an average of five years to just two.
Carney says the upcoming federal bill will require “meaningful” consultation with Indigenous Peoples, including which projects are chosen and how they are developed.
Premier Danielle Smith is championing a pipeline to take Alberta oilsands products to Prince George, B-C for shipment.
But British Columbia’s deputy premier, Niki Sharma, notes there are no backers for such a pipeline.
Sharma says B-C is concentrating on “shovel-ready” proposals…..projects that can begin immediately.
