During this federal election, there has been a great deal of discussion about how to harness the strength of Canada’s fossil fuel industry.
The preferred option was to move ahead expeditiously with a new cross country pipeline, that would terminate at tidewater in Quebec.
However, like Quebec often does, it’s playing politics, preferring a home-grown solution that benefits Quebec, usually at the expense of Canada, even though Quebec has been subsidized by the rest of Canada for nigh on 75 years.
Okay, so be it.
There are now at least three other major projects that can harness Canada’s oil, LNG and CNG options across the country. One, futuristic in its vision, but all the more probable in the long term, considering climate change and Canada’s new trade options and probabilities moving forward.
Canada can no longer be held hostage by the United States. It’s a simple point of fact. America, to Canada, has become a liability. With a fickle and irrational President, often obtuse and irresponsible, Canada can no longer depend or often times, even assume what America might do in the future.
To circumnavigate the irrationality, Canada will build new infrastructure, including oil and gas pipelines and rail-lines to connect east and west, and the Arctic to Europe and the orient.
America under Trump has become unhinged. Canada, threatened, then an attempted extortion, followed by more threats will now disentangle itself from America and its influence, including in the realm of minerals, oil and gas and Canadian commodities.
Canada has inked agreements with Japan, Korea, China, the E.U., and the U.K., to provide a range of fuels. These include LNG, petroleum and petroleum products.
The options, all mega projects, relate entirely to the provision of Canadian oil, gas, minerals, and grains. Each has its strengths and liabilities, however all are more than possible and two can essentially be shovel ready in short order as the provinces involved are already onside.
Canada’s future is not North-South but East-West.
Another new pipeline for crude to the west coast is under consideration, and one to Churchill enabling access to the Northwest passage both East and West to Europe and to China and beyond.
These energy ‘corridors’ will likely include rail as well as pipelines in order to expedite shipments of oil, gas, fertilizers, minerals and other commodities.
The relative difficulty in building a pipeline corridor to Quebec, may mean that a pipeline to Churchill, MB and one to Ontario’s lake head, may be more quickly and efficiently developed.
Quebec may well lose out due to its intransigence and outright arrogance.
Canada cannot wait any longer.
These projects need to be accomplished at the earliest opportunity.
Moving out of the sphere of influence for the United States is no longer a nice idea, its an imperative.
We can’t trust America, and may I dare say, we no longer ‘like’ America.
America stabbing Canada in the back has consequences, and they will last for generations, not months or years.
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