Ottawa, provinces should discuss possibility of west-east oil pipeline: Wilkinson

Canada’s energy minister says Ottawa and the provinces should discuss the possibility of an oil pipeline to Eastern Canada to improve energy security.

Jonathan Wilkinson says it’s a “vulnerability” for Canada to export so much of its oil to the United States in the context of the Trump administration’s tariff threats.

“Seventy per cent to 75 per cent of our exports go to the United States,” Wilkinson explained. “Some of them go to the United States, and then are re-exported to other parts of the world. That is true with a range of products. It is not just oil and gas. But certainly in the context of oil, I think in the aftermath of what has happened, we do need to reflect a little bit.

“And I would expect that the prime minister and the premiers of the provinces and territories will be reflecting on all of this. I think it is only a responsible thing to do.

“That doesn’t mean the federal government is supporting the building of a pipeline from Alberta elsewhere. But it does mean that we should be reflecting on the vulnerabilities and deciding collectively, including with our First Nation partners, whether there are some things we should do to address these vulnerabilities.”

Wilkinson also says the fact that Ontario and Quebec are served by Enbridge Line 5, an oil pipeline that runs through the Great Lakes states, creates “some degree of uncertainty.”

Wilkinson told reporters earlier Thursday morning on a call from Washington, D.C., that the Trans Mountain pipeline to Canada’s West Coast, which the government bought in 2018, was an “important investment” despite the controversy it caused.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats of imposing 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods — and 10 per cent tariffs on energy — have renewed interest in a pipeline to move oil to the east for shipment overseas.

“I don’t think anybody ever expected us to be in a situation where the president of the United States is essentially treating Canada as an adversary and not as an ally,” Wilkinson said.

Quebec Premier François Legault said earlier this week that there is still no social acceptability for an oil pipeline through the province, but suggested Trump’s actions could change the situation.