By Sheldon Spackman

Positive Signal

Red Deer County mayor pleased with Federal Court of Appeal decision on Trans Mountain pipeline

Feb 8, 2020 | 10:00 AM

The mayor of Red Deer County says the Federal Court of Appeal’s turn down a court challenge of the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion project is great news.

Jim Wood says Wednesday’s decision is the answer most Albertans have been waiting to hear for a long time.

“It’s so important for our economy,” he explained. “This is a step, but we need a lot more pipelines yet and understanding that we may have some opportunity there in the States for more pipelines. I guess what we’re looking forward to is a new market – a new market that is not United States for this pipeline that I think should help to improve the prices received.”

Wood admits he’s excited about the positive signal this sends to investors looking at Alberta.

“Recognizing that a lot of businesses through time have actually not been able to wait for this good news,” laments Wood. “We’ve seen a lot of business through this last number of years that have in fact, either not expanded their operations or have in fact, left Alberta. Unfortunately this day has not come soon enough for them, but continuing on, hopefully a start for the idea that maybe more pipelines will come.”

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Natural Resources Minister Seamus O’Regan said Wednesday the decision by the appeal court is in the public interest.

“This project will unlock new global markets to boost the price of a valuable Canadian resource; help advance reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, including through economic opportunities; and generate revenue to help fund clean energy and climate solutions,” he said in a statement.

In that respect, Wood hopes to see a balance between protecting the environment and ensuring a healthy economy moving forward.

“I believe that our federal government has gone overboard as far as where they’re looking at climate change, and has negatively affected our province to an extent way differently than a lot of other provinces when you look at our country,” explains Wood. “I look at Trans Mountain as something positive today, but recognize that our federal government has to in fact, change their tune as far as other pipelines being built, so that we can continue to prosper and have lots of people working in our province, including Red Deer County.”

With the government planning to sell the pipeline back to the private sector at some point, Wood says it’s unfortunate the government had to buy it in the first place in order to keep it alive.

“I don’t believe that government should be involved in owning pipelines, but if that’s what it took to get the project through, I would hope that they would be able to now turn this back to the private sector in very short order,” he said. “I guess it was a means to get to an end, but it seemed like a long way to get there.”