Good morning. The federal government officially identified the proposed Alberta-B.C. pipeline as a project of national interest, spurring acclaim and discontent. More on that below, along with the latest price tag for a high-speed rail line between Toronto and Quebec City and another Canadian in space.
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Accompanied by Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, Prime Minister Mark Carney declares the Pacific Link pipeline to be in the national interest in Fort McMurray, Alta., on Thursday.Greg Halinda/The Canadian Press
TOP STORIES
Carney propels West Coast pipeline forward
Ottawa’s designation of a proposed pipeline from Alberta to the West Coast as a project of national interest is the starting point for what will likely be intense consultations and negotiations with Indigenous communities along the route. Some First Nations leaders and environmental advocates have voiced concern and dismay.
The details: Prime Minister Mark Carney confirmed the designation yesterday during his visit to northern Alberta, the heart of oil country. Premier Danielle Smith and Indigenous leaders from the region, including Treaty 8 Grand Chief Trevor Mercredi, joined him at the announcement.
The context: The pipeline, now called Pacific Link, is the first project to receive the national-interest tag under the Building Canada Act. Next, stakeholders will be consulted during the federal review process about the project’s ownership, Indigenous rights and environmental protections.
What’s next: The Major Projects Office hopes to finalize conditions of the pipeline by next September and have it operational in 2032. It is expected to cost between $35.2-billion and $43.7-billion.
Opinions:
- This was the week Canada stopped shooting its oil patch in the foot, Tony Keller writes.
- Rachel Doran, president and executive director of Clean Energy Canada, questions if it’s sensible for the government to subsidize a pipeline.
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The flag of the European Union flutters outside the European Commission headquarters in Brussels.Yves Herman/Reuters
Canada and the EU plot payment accord
Eager to rely less on the United States, Canada and the European Union plan to link next-generation payment systems to quicken cross-border transactions and make it easier and cheaper to do business. The pledge is outlined in a draft joint statement prepared for the Canada-EU summit that will be held at the end of October in Montreal.
The significance: Control over payment systems is indispensable to national sovereignty, Carney argued last month. In his address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, he said Canada and Europe should co-operate on a vast range of strategic capabilities, including payments.
The terminology: While not defined in the statement, a next-generation payment system generally refers to a major upgrade of a country’s core payment infrastructure, the system that settles payments between financial institutions.
The background: Strengthening ties with the EU is a mutual priority. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has proposed that Canada could become the first “associate member” of the 27-country bloc.
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Canadian astronaut Joshua Kutryk poses for a picture with his family in Cape Canaveral, Fla., before embarking on his flight into space.Joe Skipper/Reuters
Canadian astronaut lands at space station
Joshua Kutryk blasted into space and touched down at the International Space Station, setting him up to be the fourth Canadian astronaut to undertake a long-haul mission. He is expected to be there for six months.
Landed: Colonel Kutryk and his crewmates – commander Jessica Watkins, pilot Luke Delaney and Russian cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov – arrived at ISS after leaving Kennedy Space Center at the appointed time, despite wet weather almost thwarting takeoff.
Branded: Kutryk is the first Canadian Space Agency astronaut to fly as part of NASA’s commercial crew program. The program taps private-sector partners, such as SpaceX, the orchestrator of this launch, to transport astronauts to and from the station.
The Take
Anytime there is a desperate rush to do anything in politics, mistakes can be made. And you have to know that the NDP will use a “bad” Conservative candidate – i.e., see earlier bozo eruptions from 2024 – to convince the public that the Conservatives are still attracting wingnuts with dangerous and radical beliefs.
— Gary Mason, national affairs columnist
As B.C.’s provincial campaign picks up, Gary Mason pinpoints the Conservatives’ main vulnerability.
The Shot
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Proponents of Alberta separation attend a recent rally in Edmonton.Amanda May Erickson/The Canadian Press
The elbows-up patriotism provoked by the U.S. trade war has the potential to undermine the secession drives in Alberta and Quebec. But that is not an argument for Canadians to be complacent, Eric Andrew-Gee writes.
The Wrap
What else we’re following
At home: The cost of linking Toronto and Quebec City via a new high-speed rail line could exceed $100-billion, outpacing Alto’s preliminary estimate, the Parliamentary Budget Office reports.
Abroad: The U.S. military is dispatching about 9,000 troops aboard a group of ships to the Middle East, an official said, as President Donald Trump warns of potential fresh strikes against Iran.
At home and abroad: Our TV critic, J. Kelly Nestruck, wonders why CBC Gem keeps buying American shows during the trade standoff.
Boardroom: Rogers Communications finalized its acquisition of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment for $4.35-billion and chose MLSE CEO Keith Pelley to lead its media division.
Classroom: Olympic, world and PWHL champion Claire Thompson retired from professional hockey to return to medical school in New York, where she’s studying to become an orthopedic surgeon.
Lawsuit: Alleging wrongful death, the family of Renee Good sued the U.S. government to seek damages for her killing by an immigration officer in Minneapolis last winter.
Verdict: Alberta’s top court upheld the convictions on mischief and weapons charges of two men who led the 2022 blockade at the border crossing in Coutts.
Longread: How Canada’s experiment in private plasma turned into a blood feud.