Latest news with #DevinDreeshen
National Post
2 days ago
- Business
- National Post
Alberta minister 'cautiously optimistic' about tanker ban reversal after northern B.C. visit
OTTAWA — Alberta's point man on a massive western corridor project says he's 'cautiously optimistic' about getting rid of a major roadblock to the construction of a new West Coast oil and gas pipeline after visiting British Columbia's northern coast. Article content Devin Dreeshen, the province's minister of transportation and economic corridors, told the National Post that he was stuck by the level of opposition among locals to the federal moratorium on northern B.C. oil tanker traffic, with several pointing out that the ban does nothing to stop tankers coming and going from nearby Alaska. Article content 'When you go out there and you look at (the coastline), there's almost an oil tanker a day going down from Alaska,' said Dreeshen. Article content 'So, when you look at American tankers going north and south along the coastline, but us not allowing our Canadian tankers to go straight west, away from the coastline… The hypocrisy (of the situation) was pointed out by a lot of folks,' he noted. Article content '(People are) saying that we should be able to compete the same way the U.S. and other counties do, by being able to ship our oil out to our tankers.' Article content Dreeshen was in the northern port city of Prince Rupert, B.C., last week to strengthen Alberta's ties to the critical Pacific trade outpost, joined by Alberta Indigenous Relations Minister Rajan Sawhney and members of Alberta's Industrial Heartland Association. Article content Alberta already moves nearly $4 billion of merchandise through the Port of Prince Rupert annually — including propane, agricultural products and wood pulp — but both Dreeshen and his boss, Premier Danielle Smith, think that this number could be much bigger. Article content Smith said in a May letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney that Prince Rupert would make the ideal endpoint for a new pipeline carrying Alberta oil to non-U.S. markets. Article content 'As (one of) North America's closest ports to Asia… the Port of Prince Rupert offer(s) year-round deep-water ports and existing terminal infrastructure,' wrote Smith. Article content The letter called for Carney to repeal the tanker ban to enable oil exports from the Port of Prince Rupert. Article content Smith called for a 'grand bargain' at this month's first ministers' meeting in Saskatoon where some of the revenue from a new northwest coast pipeline would be used to finance the multibillion-dollar Pathways oilsands decarbonization project. Article content Dreeshen said that his work in building out a rail and transit network from central Alberta's industrial heartland to northern B.C. and the premier's pipeline advocacy are 'two sides of the same coin.'
CTV News
13-06-2025
- General
- CTV News
Wildlife overpass in Alberta named after former premier Peter Lougheed
The Peter Lougheed Wildlife Overpass overpass is located near Lac Des Arcs, approximately 81 kilometres west of Calgary and 29 kilometres east of Canmore. ( Alberta announced the name of a new wildlife overpass on the Trans-Canada Highway on Friday, saying the structure will pay tribute to former premier Peter Lougheed. The overpass is located near Lac Des Arcs, approximately 81 kilometres west of Calgary and 29 kilometres east of Canmore. Construction on the $17.5 million project began in 2022 and was completed last fall. The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App Devin Dreeshen, minister of transportation and economic corridors, says naming the structure in honour of Lougheed provides a long-lasting reminder of his work to preserve the area. 'In 1977, premier Lougheed was invited to take a helicopter tour of what is now Kananaskis Country. He was so impressed that he saw that his PC government soon create Kananaskis Country to preserve the breathtaking landscape, rivers, streams and waterfalls,' he said Friday. 'Today, Kananaskis Country spans 4,000 square kilometres and includes five provincial parks.' The newly named Peter Lougheed Wildlife Overpass is the first in Alberta to be constructed outside of a national park. According to the province, the wildlife crossing is expected to reduce collisions in the area by an estimated 80 per cent. The province says animal-vehicle collisions account for about 60 per cent of reported collisions on rural highways. 'This overpass is a major milestone in advancing wildlife crossings in one of the most important landscapes for wildlife movement in the entire Yellowstone to Yukon region,' said Jodi Hilty, president and chief scientist, Y2Y. 'This crossing will help elk, deer, bears and other animals across the Trans-Canada Highway in a way that is safe for them and the tens of thousands of people driving this highway every day,' added Tim Johnson, landscape connectivity specialist, Y2Y.
CTV News
06-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Alberta pushing for pipeline to the west coast; B.C. not in support of the idea
Alberta is leading the charge for a new pipeline to the west coast to strengthen our economy amid the ongoing trade war, but B.C. does not support the idea. As Alberta's government signs an agreement aimed at cutting red tape for oilfield rigs, it asks Ottawa to clear the path for a cross-country pipeline since B.C. opposes the idea. 'That's where the federal government really needs to step up because no province can block another province's access to tidewater to markets,' said Devin Dreeshen, Alberta's transportation and economic corridors minister. With the prime minister promising to fast-track projects of national interest, Alberta's premier is eyeing a potential route. 'We've got to work with where we think we'll have the most success, and where I think we'll have the most success right now is working on a corridor between Hudson Bay and the port of Prince Rupert,' Premier Danielle Smith said. But B.C. says that doesn't make sense to them. 'This would be a colossally expensive and not economic proposal. It's a political proposal, and fair enough, but we have a different view,' said Adrian Dix, B.C.'s energy and climate solutions minister. The Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion ended up costing nearly seven times the original price, forcing the federal government to step in and save it, leaving taxpayers on the hook for the nearly $34-billion project. Alberta has not yet named any potential projects. 'We're currently trying to make sure that we can send those signals to industry, that they can invest in new pipelines in Canada,' Dreeshen said. Energy experts say one of the biggest barriers is securing investors. 'We see this right now, for example, with LNG Canada on the west coast; we're not waiting for regulatory approval, we're waiting for the investors to say yes, and we've been waiting for the investors to say yes for a number of years now,' said Andrew Leach, University of Alberta energy economist. Some economists point to other ideas to improve Canada's economy and sovereignty, including high-speed rail or an east-west power grid. 'One that's much more likely to get the consent of First Nations, one that meets our long-term energy needs rather than short-term political positioning,' said Marc Lee, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives senior economist. In 2019, Ottawa approved twinning of the Trans Mountain Pipeline despite opposition from B.C.'s government and First Nations.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Alberta enters agreement to reduce inspection stops for oilfield service rigs
The Alberta government has entered into an agreement to cut down on the number of inspection stops for oilfield service rigs. A new memorandum of agreement with the Canadian Association of Energy Contractors, an industry advocacy group, will integrate drivers into a pre-clearance program, Drivewyze, so approved vehicles can bypass stops at select weigh stations, according to a news release the provincial government issued Thursday. But association members who subscribe to Drivewyze and meet certain safety benchmarks will be exempt from routine stops at vehicle inspection stations, the release said. "When [oil rig service providers] load up essentially the same convoy, it's the same trucks with the same weight, with the same equipment that go from location to location," Minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors Devin Dreeshen said during a news conference. "This has been a long-standing industry concern of always having to go to the weight stations." Before this agreement, these rig convoys had to stop at every vehicle inspection station on their route, the news release said. But now, transponders on the trucks would allow them to pass by inspection and weigh stations, Dreeshen said, comparing Drivewyze to the federal Nexus program, which was designed to speed up Canada-U.S. border crossings for low-risk, pre-approved travellers. The agreement will make it easier for the rigs "to spend more time in the field and less time dealing with administrative burdens," Dreeshen said. Mark Scholz, president and CEO of the Canadian Association of Energy Contractors, said the agreement "recognizes the unique transportation requirements that this industry needs." The risk level and portfolio of oilfield service rigs are different from other kinds of rigs, because they spend much more time stationary performing well-serving operations, Scholz said, adding that sometimes, the oilfield service rigs drive as little as 500 kilometres a year. The new agreement "serves as a model for potential alignment with Saskatchewan and Manitoba," the news release said. The Opposition NDP was unable to provide CBC News with a comment on the new agreement before publication.
CBC
06-06-2025
- Automotive
- CBC
Alberta enters agreement to reduce inspection stops for oilfield service rigs
The Alberta government has entered into an agreement to cut down on the number of inspection stops for oilfield service rigs. A new memorandum of agreement with the Canadian Association of Energy Contractors, an industry advocacy group, will integrate drivers into a pre-clearance program, Drivewyze, so approved vehicles can bypass stops at select weigh stations, according to a news release the provincial government issued Thursday. But association members who subscribe to Drivewyze and meet certain safety benchmarks will be exempt from routine stops at vehicle inspection stations, the release said. "When [oil rig service providers] load up essentially the same convoy, it's the same trucks with the same weight, with the same equipment that go from location to location," Minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors Devin Dreeshen said during a news conference. "This has been a long-standing industry concern of always having to go to the weight stations." Before this agreement, these rig convoys had to stop at every vehicle inspection station on their route, the news release said. But now, transponders on the trucks would allow them to pass by inspection and weigh stations, Dreeshen said, comparing Drivewyze to the federal Nexus program, which was designed to speed up Canada-U.S. border crossings for low-risk, pre-approved travellers. The agreement will make it easier for the rigs "to spend more time in the field and less time dealing with administrative burdens," Dreeshen said. Mark Scholz, president and CEO of the Canadian Association of Energy Contractors, said the agreement "recognizes the unique transportation requirements that this industry needs." The risk level and portfolio of oilfield service rigs are different from other kinds of rigs, because they spend much more time stationary performing well-serving operations, Scholz said, adding that sometimes, the oilfield service rigs drive as little as 500 kilometres a year. The new agreement "serves as a model for potential alignment with Saskatchewan and Manitoba," the news release said.
