432-00546 (Natural resources and energy)

The Government of Canada thanks the petitioners for expressing their views regarding the Trans Mountain Expansion (TMX) project.

The government recognizes that TMX is in the public interest and is important to Canada’s economic future. It will help producers find new markets beyond the United States, and in the process get a fair price for their petroleum products. It will also create or support good, middle-class jobs in Canada. The International Energy Agency (IEA) has demonstrated that investment in oil and gas projects is part of the rapid clean energy transition, and supports Canada’s climate change goals.

Construction has continued during the COVID-19 pandemic, in full compliance with public health orders and directives. All necessary health and safety measures are in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19 among workers and communities. Construction is well underway across British Columbia and Alberta, creating 7,300 middle-class jobs -- including nearly 1,000 for Indigenous workers. As of February 23, 2021, approximately 120 kilometres of new pipeline have been installed since the Government of Canada’s approval of TMX. The projected in-service date is December 31, 2022.

The government remains committed to ensuring the project proceeds towards completion, while ensuring that the work meets all engineering, safety and environmental requirements. The Government of Canada will collaborate with all levels of government, Indigenous communities and the Trans Mountain Corporation to ensure that all necessary permits and regulatory authorizations are in place. To date, the Government of Canada and the governments of British Columbia and Alberta have issued approximately 90 percent of all necessary federal and provincial permits needed to allow construction to move towards completion in a safe and environmentally sound manner.

The Government thanks the petitioners for expressing their views about the importance of the oil and gas sector to the Canadian economy as well as views on expediting the Trans Mountain Expansion Project (TMEP).

The environment and the economy go hand-in-hand. When we create prosperity today, we can invest in the clean jobs, technologies, and infrastructure of the future — and help Canadians benefit from opportunities presented by a rapidly changing economy.

The key to creating prosperity is finding new markets for our businesses to sell their products and services. Nowhere is the need to diversify greater than for our energy sector, where 99 per cent of our conventional resources are sold to one market — and often at large discounts. Canadians understand that we need to open up new international markets, in order to get a full and fair price, support workers and their families, and foster competitiveness.

The Government is confident that the TMEP will generate a positive return for Canadians.

TMEP as it stands today is very different from the project that Kinder Morgan proposed in 2017. It has been designed to a higher standard for environmental protection, undergone rigorous consultation with Indigenous groups and will support union jobs in B.C. and Alberta. These enhancements have improved TMEP, ensured that construction proceeds in the right way, and that it will support the Canadian economy today and into the future.

The Government also announced that every dollar the federal government earns from TMEP will be invested in Canada’s clean energy transition. It is estimated that additional tax revenues from TMEP alone could generate $500 million per year once the project has been completed. This money will be invested in clean energy projects that will power our homes, businesses, and communities for generations to come.