Alberta and British Columbia don鈥檛 have a deal yet to build a new bitumen pipeline to the West Coast.
But you have to think it鈥檚 just a matter of time.
Not just because premiers Alison Redford and Christy Clark warmed up their 鈥渇rosty鈥� relationship last June after Clark won a majority government. And not just because the two announced in July they were forming a joint working group to resolve their pipeline differences.
The real breakthrough in their pipeline diplomacy is contained in the working group鈥檚 鈥渢erms of reference鈥� released this week 鈥� specifically on Page 5 of the 10-page document in the section headed 鈥淭ransportation.鈥�
And more specifically this line: 鈥淚f pipelines are not developed, rail will step into the void to deliver bitumen to the West Coast.鈥�
The two governments couldn鈥檛 have been more clear if they had said something along the lines of, 鈥淗ey, if you think pipelines are a bad idea, wait until we start shipping millions of barrels of bitumen a week by rail.鈥�
Or, for the sake of brevity, they could have simply said: 鈥淟et us build pipelines 鈥� or else!鈥� That鈥檚 not to say the governments are painting the transportation of bitumen by rail as a particularly hazardous proposition. 鈥淧ipeline and rail transportation are viable alternatives for the movement of energy resources to the West Coast,鈥� says the document.
Shipping anything by rail is actually relatively safe. The Association of American Railroads says 99.97 per cent of hazardous goods reach their destination without incident.
But then the Alberta-B.C. document obliquely reminds us of July鈥檚 disaster in Lac-M茅gantic when a string of rail cars carrying oil derailed and exploded: 鈥淚t will be necessary to ensure that new modern rail cars that are designed to handle bitumen are used to mitigate environmental risks along with adequate overpasses and rail sidings to protect communities.鈥�
Pipeline companies say their safety record is even higher than rail. So if you must ship oil to market, they argue, pipelines are the best alternative.
In that light, you could read the Alberta-B.C. working group鈥檚 document as a sort of passive-aggressive argument for a pipeline. Some environmental groups see this as intimidation. That鈥檚 only because it is.
It鈥檚 hard to miss the message. The governments of Alberta and B.C. 鈥� on opposite sides of this issue a year ago when Clark was running for re-election against the pipeline-hating NDP 鈥� are now on the same page.
In fact, they鈥檙e using the same page to issue joint news releases such as Tuesday鈥檚 missive headlined, 鈥淏ritish Columbia and Alberta work together to strengthen resource sector.鈥�
And when they say 鈥渟trengthen resource sector鈥� they mean 鈥渂uild new pipelines.鈥� That鈥檚 not how Clark is phrasing it but, again, it鈥檚 hard to miss the message.
Clark is no longer an intractable enemy of the pipeline as she subtly pointed out in the joint Clark-Redford news release: 鈥淲e are laying the foundation to work together to reach new markets, create jobs and strengthen both our economies, and Canada.鈥� Alberta government sources say they鈥檙e amazed at how co-operative Clark has become since winning her majority government.
Officially, the B.C. government is still opposed to Enbridge鈥檚 Northern Gateway pipeline that would pump Alberta鈥檚 bitumen to Kitimat for shipment to Asia. However, the government has left the door open if Enbridge toughens up some of its environmental planning.
And even though Clark still wants B.C. to receive its 鈥渇air share鈥� of the profits from a pipeline, she has rephrased what was once a sabre-rattling demand to a warm and fuzzy goal of 鈥渆nsuring fair fiscal and economic benefits to both provinces.鈥�
It might yet be too late for the Northern Gateway proposal that has been the target of environmental protests, First Nations鈥� objections and Enbridge鈥檚 鈥淜eystone Kops鈥� reputation.
But there鈥檚 another pipeline proposal unsullied by public-relations setbacks 鈥� the twinning of Kinder Morgan鈥檚 Trans Mountain pipeline.
It鈥檚 in the early stages of the approval process. And unlike the Northern Gateway project, it will have a working group of top civil servants from Alberta and B.C. to help it along.
It鈥檚 just a matter of time.
