Latest news with #Dreeshen
Calgary Herald
3 days ago
- Business
- Calgary Herald
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 struck 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 Article content 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 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 countries 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 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.
Vancouver Sun
3 days ago
- Business
- Vancouver Sun
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. 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. '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. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. '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. '(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.' 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. 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. 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. '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. The letter called for Carney to repeal the tanker ban to enable oil exports from the Port of Prince Rupert. 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. 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.' Both B.C. Premier David Eby and Prince Rupert Mayor Herb Pond say they support the North Coast tanker ban. The moratorium was first called by Justin Trudeau shortly after he became prime minister in late 2015, effectively killing the Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline to Kitimat, B.C. It was signed into law in 2019 . Chris Sankey, a member of the local Tsimshian community of Lax Kw'Alaams, says the tanker ban was rushed, and put into place without the adequate consultation of those affected. 'It didn't give a platform for the Indigenous communities to get in the room and have a discussion, leadership to leadership … It was a decision that's now come back to hurt Indigenous people's ability to have an open and honest discussion about energy, infrastructure, and port development,' said Sankey. 'This is an opportunity to amend the ban (in a way) that aligns with Indigenous communities' interests and concerns that we protect what we have and grow the economy.' Sankey, now an investment advisor, ran unsuccessfully for the B.C. Conservatives in last year's provincial election. The office of federal Transport Minister Chrystia Freeland didn't immediately respond to an inquiry from the National Post about the possibility of reversing the tanker ban. National Post rmohamed@ Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
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.
Calgary Herald
29-05-2025
- Business
- Calgary Herald
Edmonton breaks ground on $1.3B Capital Line South LRT expansion
The latest expansion project for Edmonton's sprawling LRT lines broke ground on Thursday, that will, once completed, connect the current Heritage Valley transit centre on Ellerslie Road to Century Park by way of 111 Street. Article content Article content With plans to construct one underpass, two overpasses, and two additional LRT stations, the project is expected to take about five years to build and cost nearly $1.4 billion, barring any overruns on time or budget. The Capital Line South LRT expansion was prioritized in the city's ongoing transit buildout to accommodate what it expects will be 15,000 daily riders once complete because of the area's ballooning population. Article content Article content 'We are growing as a city. We have had over 140,000 people move here in the last three years. We're going to be a city of 1.25 million people projected by the end of this year. We can't stop building transit. We can't stop building ways for people to move,' said Edmonton's deputy mayor and ward papstew Coun. Michael Janz at the groundbreaking ceremony. Article content 'Alberta's provincial government is pleased to have committed $365 million in provincial funding for this project. Now this total includes a recent approval at the city's request to reallocate $41 million in provincial funding from the Metro Line and the Valley Line West LRT projects to support this Phase One of the Capital Line South LRT project,' Dreeshen said. Article content Article content Phase One of the project will add a high-floor LRT connecting the existing Century Park LRT station and spanning 4.5 km to the Heritage Valley Transit Centre, which is currently a park and ride, but will also get an LRT station as part of the expansion. The expansion includes an underpass under 111 Street and 23 Avenue as well as two new bridges over Blackmud Creek and Anthony Henday Drive. Phase one will also add an operations and maintenance facility on the south side of Anthony Henday Drive and a Twin Brooks LRT station. Article content Article content Dreeshen said the province's support for Edmonton's LRT projects ties into the Alberta government's plans to create an 'optimal passenger rail system' for Alberta. Further, he said the province expects to have a passenger rail master plan completed by the summer, which will outline a 15-year plan to create commuter and regional rail services around the province, including connecting Edmonton and Calgary's mass transit systems.
CBC
20-03-2025
- Business
- CBC
Gondek expresses doubt about downtown segment of Green Line LRT plan as province signals full steam ahead
Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek says the province is jumping the gun in claiming the downtown segment of the Green Line LRT project will move ahead based on the new alignment. It's the latest jab in an ongoing war of words between the city and the provincial government over the future of Calgary's major transit expansion. "The province, without consulting with their federal or municipal partners, issued a news release that suggested we are moving full steam ahead with their downtown alignment, even though significant risks and unanswered questions remain," Gondek told reporters on Wednesday. In a statement released Tuesday, Minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors Devin Dreeshen said because the federal government has re-approved its funding for the project, construction on the elevated alignment downtown can start in 2027. "This work will be based on the Government of Alberta's plan and alignment, using 10th Avenue S.W. and Second Street S.W. The design is expected to be completed by 2026, leading to construction on the downtown segment beginning in 2027," Dreeshen said. Gondek says there's no guarantee construction will start in that time frame, and expressed doubt that the design phase would be finished by 2026. She said the AECOM report commissioned by the province clearly acknowledges that the plan lacks the necessary analysis to move forward. "I have no idea how they propose to get this done by 2026. This is a process that will involve stakeholder engagement," the mayor said, adding businesses in the area that will be impacted by the proposed alignment have not yet had any conversations with the province. Asked about the mayor's concerns, Dreeshen said in an interview with CBC on Wednesday that more stakeholder engagement and consultation needs to be done before the downtown section of the Green Line moves forward. According to the city's website, the functional plan for the downtown segment is expected to be completed in 2026. The functional plan includes but is not limited to advancing design work on the downtown segment of the project. Gondek says there's no information yet on how an elevated LRT line will affect businesses and building owners in the area, or if it's even technically feasible. The mayor added there's also no agreement yet with CPKC for the necessary rights to build the CTrain line through the company's rail right of way. Gondek spoke to reporters Wednesday outside of Michael's Restaurant and Pizza on 10th Avenue S.W., one of the streets that could one day be in the shadows of elevated CTrain track. One of the owners of that pizzeria, John Batas, said no one has consulted him about the idea to build the LRT there. "It's just shocking. Like yesterday's [provincial release] saying it sounds like it's a done deal, that was another kind of gut punch we've received," Batas said. "When we first heard about it, I had no idea until a reporter came and asked me what I thought of it." John Batas, one of the owners of Michael's Restaurant and Pizza, says he's concerned about the possibility of the Green Line LRT's elevated track being built on the street where his business is. (Helen Pike/CBC News) He added he's concerned about the accessibility of his business if the LRT is built there. "This is a pretty busy street, the only two-way street in the downtown core. And if you take away this and put an LRT platform, access is going to be terrible," Batas said. "We've tried reaching out to the province. We sent them emails as soon as we heard about this. Come and talk to us, meet with us, hear our concerns. No one's willing to do anything." The city is doing a functional study on the elevated line, which Gondek says will take 18 to 24 months to complete and then council will vote on whether to proceed.
