SASKATOON — Ontario’s Premier, Doug Ford, stated on Monday that the assembly of provincial leaders held to discuss national initiatives with Prime Minister Mark Carney was the most productive one in at least ten years.
These remarks essentially serve as a thinly disguised criticism of ex-prime minister Justin Trudeau, who often had tense interactions with the organization, particularly prairie premiers aiming to expand their energy industries.
Ford stated that both the premiers and the entire nation remain unified as Canada faces an assault from U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs—despite disagreements within the group regarding longstanding pipeline politics.
On Monday, provincial and territorial heads met with Carney in Saskatoon. Each premier arrived with priority lists of significant initiatives they aspire the federal government to consider as being in the national interest, subsequently accelerating their approvals.
“The aim is to create the certainty, stability, and ambition that entrepreneurs require to spur significant investments—investments needed to transform Canada into an energy superpower,” Carney stated during the concluding press briefing.
As the team deliberated privately on various possible “nation-shaping” projects involving natural resources and infrastructure, they refrained from publishing a conclusive list post-discussion, which might have demonstrated tangible progress.
Nevertheless, Ford stated that there is no cause for concern regarding this development.
He stated that nothing was set in stone during this meeting,” and added that he did not anticipate the prime minister would greenlight particular initiatives at this gathering.
I referred to him today as Santa Claus. His sleigh was loaded with various items. Now he’s departing for the North Pole where he will organize everything before giving us a call.
The federal Liberals have not yet introduced in Parliament the proposed legislation aimed at expediting approval processes for certain initiatives to a maximum of two years. This bill could be presented as soon as this week.
When questioned about the absence of details following the meeting, Carney informed journalists that he could list numerous instances of potential candidates.
He proceeded to rattle off a list that featured the Grays Bay Road and Port, intended to link southern Canada with the Arctic via roadway, as well as the Ring of Fire mining initiative in Northern Ontario. He also mentioned the Pathways Alliance oil sands project but refrained from making any commitments regarding it.
Carney mentioned that the team would define which initiatives qualify as top priorities during the upcoming summer period. He also highlighted that with private entities recognizing this chance, “we will witness an increase in new ventures being proposed.”
He stated that the forthcoming federal law will require substantial engagement with Indigenous Peoples, covering aspects such as project selection and development methodologies.
Alberta’s Premier, Danielle Smith, entered the discussion cautioning that excluding new pipelines from the list could convey an unfavorable message to her province.
She exited the meeting on an optimistic note, stating that it’s the responsibility of political figures to identify a supporter for a new pipeline, and she expressed her readiness to provide this process with an opportunity.
She expressed optimism over the swift shift in demeanor observed recently,” she stated. “It’s noteworthy when we hear the Prime Minister speak about becoming an energy superpower, as this rhetoric hasn’t been used in quite a while.
Carney emphasized that “decarbonized” barrels of oil should be considered within the broader context of national interests.
“There’s genuine potential in that area,” he stated. “It consumed quite a bit of our time as we discussed possibly moving forward with this. Should it be further developed, the federal government intends to push ahead with it.”
Smith highlighted the Pathways Alliance initiative, a coalition of prominent Canadian oil sands firms that contends they can combat climate change by employing carbon capture and storage techniques to lower emissions, presenting this as a solution.
“There are numerous methods for reducing carbon emissions; however, the Pathways initiative comes with a significant cost,” she stated.
The construction costs could range between $10 and $20 billion. To justify this economically, increasing exports through additional pipelines to Asia will cover the expense. A pipeline capable of transporting one million barrels per day to the northwestern British Columbia coastline would yield approximately $20 billion annually in revenue, making it seem like quite an attractive investment.
However, entering the discussion, B.C. Deputy Premier Niki Sharma stated that Smith’s suggestion for a bitumen pipeline to British Columbia’s north coast, possibly by resurrecting the halted Northern Gateway project, currently lacks “any supporter” at present.
We are concentrating on these ready-to-go initiatives rather than hypothetical ones without supporters,” Sharma stated in a subsequent message. “Moreover, there exists an unused pipeline which Canadian taxpayers spent $34 billion on, and it still has available capacity.
The report from The Canadian Press was initially released on June 2, 2025.
Kyle Duggan and Jeremy Simes from The Canadian Press
