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CALGARY — TransCanada’s controversial Keystone XL pipeline now has the backing of both the Canadian and U.S. governments.
Speaking at a Calgary cabinet retreat this morning, federal ministers once again voiced their support for the pipeline shortly before U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order advancing the project.
“We have been supportive of this since the day we were sworn into government,” said Natural Resources Minister Jim Carr. “We believe it’s a good project for both Canada and the United States.”
The pipeline has drawn criticism for both the potential for leaks to contaminate the environment and for the boost in greenhouse gases it will help produce.
Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said the project goes along with the government’s twin pillars of jobs and the environment.
“Our position from the start has been that the environment and the economy go together,” she said. “We really believe that it is not just possible but essential to have strong policies on climate change — the strongest policies a government of Canada has ever had on putting a price on pollution — and at the same time to fulfil our duty as a government of getting our natural resources to market.”
Former president Barack Obama killed the proposed Keystone XL pipeline in late 2015, saying it would hurt American efforts to reach a global climate change deal.
News of the approval came as cabinet ministers held a two-day retreat, with Canada-U.S. relations dominating discussions.
Cabinet members will also attend a panel discussion today with Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi, Calgary police Chief Roger Chaffin and representatives from local community organizations, followed by a town hall later at the University of Calgary.
