The premiers of Ontario and Quebec have laid out new conditions for their support of the Energy East pipeline project, perhaps revealing a growing divide between them and their Maritime counterparts.
On Friday, premiers Kathleen Wynne and Philippe Couillard agreed to seven principles that would have to be met before they endorsed the project, including environmental safeguards and consideration of greenhouse gas emissions.
Maritime premiers have wholeheartedly supported the project, but Wynne denied there’s a rift growing.
“This isn’t about Ontario and Quebec acting in opposition to other provinces,” she said.
“This is about us working together to try to make sure that the interests of people across the country are met.”
Trades workers across the Maritimes are hoping the project moves ahead.
“Everybody gets a piece of it,” said Scott Clark, a pipefitter from P.E.I. currently being certified on skills he could use for pipeline projects.
“There’s (module assembly yards) and stuff that can be built on P.E.I. for the project itself too, right.”
Meanwhile, trade unions in the Maritimes are lobbying hard in support of the pipeline project.
“What happens out of this province, we don’t have a whole lot of say in what happens there,” said Jody Waring of United Association Local 213, the plumbers and pipefitters union in Saint John.
“I guess what we can do is support our governments here with initiatives that they’re taking to try to make this happen.”
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Mike Cameron
