OTTAWA - The head of Canada's new Major Projects Office and her staff sidestepped MPs' questions Thursday about whether she has special powers to skirt the West Coast tanker ban. Dawn Farrell was hired earlier this year as the CEO of the new office, which has been tasked by the federal government with reviewing project proposals to see if they qualify for fast-track approval. Farrell told the House of Commons standing committee on environment and sustainable development 500 projects are [Read more]

VICTORIA - British Columbia's Energy Minister Adrian Dix has dismissed the latest push by Alberta's premier for an oil pipeline to the West Coast, saying the "definition of being Canadian isn't to agree with everything Danielle Smith says." Smith, who's in Ottawa today, says B.C. Premier David Eby's recent rejection of her pipeline pitch last week is "un-Canadian" and "unconstitutional." She made her comments after Eby called the proposed pipeline "fictional" in a video posted [Read more]

OTTAWA - Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is in Ottawa this week, following up on her now week-old pledge to help fund the development of a proposal for a new oil pipeline to Canada's West Coast. Smith is hopeful the project — which as of yet has no private sector proponent or a suggested route option — can be submitted for consideration by Prime Minister Mark Carney's new Major Projects Office by next spring. Smith met with Carney on Monday at the Ottawa airport, just before he boarded a [Read more]

CALGARY - Analysts at CIBC say they're doubtful Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's plan to spur development of a West Coast bitumen pipeline will succeed. They say in a report that they applaud the effort and are open to the possibility of such a project going ahead, but the political and economic realities may be difficult to overcome. Smith says her government is putting up $14 million for early planning work on a pipeline that it hopes the private sector will eventually take over, with [Read more]