I was driving to work the other evening and came across a call-in radio show on our beloved CBC. The topic was the hopefully to be twinned TransMountain pipeline.The hatred towards Alberta from B.C. residents was truly disconcerting and maddening.
Stuff like “It is of no benefit at all to B.C. residents” or “Alberta should be more like Sweden and have lots of money saved instead of wasting it” and “Too bad so sad, another oil boom wasted, they should diversify.” Pure ignorance is all I heard.
First of all, the pipeline benefits all Canadians, in many ways. It keeps the money flow going to the have-not provinces and keeps many people employed. It doesn’t just do that while it is being built because there are workers on both ends of the thing. We will also get full market value for the crude instead of the current discount with it being landlocked.
Second, Alberta can never be Sweden because we cannot keep all our money like Sweden, we have to share it via transfer payments. We have sent billions upon billions to all parts of Canada only to get a kick in the rump every time we try to do something. The province also has infrastructure to build and maintain with the crushing amount of people moving here. To just compare Alberta to Sweden in one instance is quite disingenuous.
Third, nothing was wasted and we are diversifying. Diversifying won’t happen overnight nor will the use of oil. Simply blocking a pipeline actually increases fossil fuel usage and lessens Canada’s wealth and well-being. I find it quite hypocritical of anyone living in Canada complaining of fossil fuel usage unless they are living in a cave and eating nuts.
This federal government is failing Canadians by hemming and hawing. Why approve the thing and then stand by and do nothing with minor push-backs from a few paid lobbyists and a delusional government in B.C.?
Anthony Gull, St. Albert
