​​Last year about 20,000 people crossed illegally into Canada, mostly at two crossings near Lacolle, Quebec., and Emerson, Manitoba.

"It's unfair to ask a province like Manitoba is, a smaller province, to handle what is essentially caused by a federal challenge," Brian Pallister had told The House.​

Pallister said had commended federal immigration minister Ahmed Hussen for the work the government has done, he said support was still needed.

Although the number of people who had crossed into Manitoba this year was 102 people, lesser from last year's numbers, Pallister said, but still far more than any other year.

Pallister is anticipating high numbers in his province this year also and asking the government to continue the support they provided last year.

Ottawa, Apr 23 (Canadian-Media): Earlier this month, Kinder Morgan, the largest energy infrastructure company in North America  specializing in owning and controlling oil and gas pipelines and terminals, had announced that it would halt all non-essential spending related to the Trans Mountain pipeline because of the ongoing opposition from the B.C. government, media reports said. 

According to a national poll, Trans Mountain pipeline had been caught in negative inter-provincial disputes and opposition from environmentalist.

The poll added that almost 60 percent of Canadians feel that the company behind the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion could have done more to earn public support for the project.

Angus Reid Institute's Part two of the survey found that by a ratio of 58 percent to 20 percent, Canadians believe that Kinder Morgan brought much of the current conflict upon itself.

This view is held by 70 percent of the project's opponents and 56 percent of its supporters, the poll says.

"Many opponents — including Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, president of the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs — claim that Kinder Morgan did not attain 'consent or social licence' from British Columbians and Indigenous peoples for this project, which has led to conflict and delays," Angus Reid said in a release.

The polling firm says another key finding is that the debate over Trans Mountain has grabbed the country's attention, with more than half of respondents saying they are paying close attention — including majorities in every region but Quebec.

Angus Reid also says the survey found that 60 per cent of Canadians view protesters aligned against the project as representing a fringe view.

Poll results revealed last week suggested a growing number of British Columbians support the pipeline expansion project even as their leaders stand firmly opposed to it.

Support for the Kinder Morgan project has risen to 54 per cent in B.C., according to the Angus Reid Institute. That's up six per cent from February.

The poll found that those in favour are spread across the province, with about half of respondents in Metro Vancouver and on Vancouver Island saying they would support the project. Support rises to 60 per cent in the rest of B.C.

​The poll was conducted with 2,125 Canadian adults last Monday and Tuesday.

The poll's probability sample with its sample plan would carry a margin of error of +/- 3.0 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. The institute said discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

Earlier this month, Kinder Morgan announced it was stopping non-essential spending for the project. The company gave Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government until May 31 to give a clear signal the project will proceed.

The existing Trans Mountain pipeline has carried oil from near Edmonton to a marine terminal in Burnaby, B.C., since 1953.

The $7.4-billion expansion project would nearly triple the existing 1,500-kilometre pipeline's capacity from 300,000 barrels of oil per day to 890,000. 

The pipeline would pump Alberta bitumen from its Sherwood Park terminal to tankers docking at the expanded Westridge Marine Terminal in Burnaby, which would get three new berths.

​G7 forum offers an opportunity for G7 Leaders, Ministers and policy makers to come together each year to build consensus and set trends around some of today’s most challenging global issues 

The first working session for Freeland on Sunday involved meeting with a series of non-G7 foreign ministers who are women, invited to a special outreach session.

They included representatives of Colombia, Croatia and Ghana, among others. 

​Besides Freeland, other G7 ministers present were Federica Mogherini,  high representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, Ghana's minister of Foreign Affairs.

Russia and the ongoing war in eastern Ukraine dominated the working lunch later on Sunday.

It was followed by an early afternoon session on Syria, Iraq, Iran and Palestinian conflict.

They also discussed the evolving situation in North Korea, where the country's leader, Kim Jong-un, startled the world late last week by announcing a suspension in nuclear and ballistic missile tests.

This meeting was intended to lay the groundwork for G7 leaders summit in Charlevoix, Que., in early June.

Freeland announced that ahead of the annual UN General Assembly session, Canada will host a much larger gathering of women foreign affairs ministers in September.

This light, relaxed affair was in contrast to the serious discussion these leaders would be holding over the next couple of days in mostly closed-door meetings at the University of Toronto.

On Saturday, Canada and Japan signed a bilateral defence agreement, which has been in the works for months.

​It will, according to a statement by Global Affairs Canada, "allow both countries to make efficient use of each other's military equipment during operations and exercises."

The agreement also reportedly smoothes the way for closer cooperation in future peacekeeping initiatives and responding to humanitarian crises and disasters.

Freeland would be joined by the security ministers from each of the seven major Western industrialized nations  for joint sessions on Monday, where they will talk cyber threats and countering violent extremism.

Another major that would be discussed would be finding ways to curb human trafficking, particularly of women.

"Most victims of human trafficking are women and girls," said Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale following a meeting with a roundtable of academics on Friday. "The government of Canada is committed to fighting this abhorrent attack on basic human rights and dignity."


(Reporting by Asha Bajaj)​

#Halifax, #NovaScotia, #Canada, #opioidcrisis, #decriminalizepurchaseofsex,  #increasedaccessibilityoffreemedicines, #JohnOliver, #GinettePetitpasTaylor, #CatherineMcKenna, #JimCarr 

Ottawa, Apr 20 (Canadian-Media):  A federal Liberal national convention on the protection of the environment and  economy growth was held in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Friday, April 20,  media reports said.  

About 3,000 registered Liberal supporters attending the convention had been reportedly pushing the federal government to take radical steps to solve the opioid crisis, decriminalize the purchase of sex and increase the accessibility of free medicines, .

In some cases, the federal government had been pushing back on a proposal to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of all drugs. 

“Currently we treat patients as criminals and harm the very people we want to save,”  Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith at a workshop on health and social policy on Friday said. “[Prohibition] doesn’t work, Canadians continue to use drugs and Canadians continue to die.”

A number of necessary steps had been taken by the federal government to deal with the opioid crisis, said Federal Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor, immediately after the workshop, including easing restrictions on methadone and prescription heroin.

“Canada and Portugal are two very different countries,” she told reporters. “It’s not about adopting one model and bringing it to Canada, we have to look at what can be effective and efficient for Canada.”

John Oliver, Liberal Member of Parliament (MP) notified the necessity for the federal government to create a universal, single-payer pharmacare program before the next federal election to avoid being vulnerable because that option was already being supported by the National Democratic Party (NDP).

“This is ours to finish, not the NDP,” he said at a workshop. “The solution is simple, the Canada Health Act needs to be amended by adding prescription medicines to the definition of covered services.”

Oliver added the proposal would not simply offer coverage to those who don’t have workplace health benefits, but apply to all Canadians.

Realizing that this option would cost billions in new funding, Former Ontario health minister Eric Hoskins, chairing a federal advisory council on this issue, suggested the government to create a major new social program.

“I am agnostic on the conclusions other than making sure that we get Canadians to a position where everyone has access to health care that’s going to make sure that themselves and their families are able to be healthy and that is our goal,” Finance Minister Bill Morneau said last month.

 Liberal supporters at the national convention in Halifax would reportedly vote on Friday in support of four of the 30 resolutions that are on the floor. 

On Saturday, the top 20 resolutions will be prioritized in a plenary session and decide which resolutions are included - in whole or in part - in the 2019 electoral platform.

About a quarter of the delegates at the convention being young Liberals had been pushing for the decriminalization of the consensual sex trade among adults.

“It’s a very progressive policy,” said Young Liberals president Mira Ahmad. “Young Liberals have a history of challenging the party’s status quo at times.”

“There are many resolutions here that would find themselves at home at an NDP convention,” NDP MP and parliamentary leader Guy Caron said. “It’s a big show as they try to show how progressive they are, but the implementation, when they are in power, is just not there.”

Federal Environment Minister Catherine McKenna and Canada's Natural Resources Minister Jim Carr, during a panel presentation on the pipeline issue, defended their government’s position in favour of the controversial Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.

“You have a chance to go out in your communities and don’t shy away from what we have done. You should be super proud of what we are doing,” Ms. McKenna told Liberal supporters.

(Reporting by Asha Bajaj)

​

#federalLiberals,  #Conservatives,  #NanosResearch, #NewDemocrats, #TheGreens 

Ottawa, Apr 18 (IBNS): A new poll suggests the federal Liberals have regained a commanding lead over the Conservatives, media reports said.

According to the new survey by Nanos Research, the Liberals get at 41 percent support, followed by the Conservatives at 29 percent and the New Democrats at 16 percent. The Greens and Bloc Québécois posted eight and four per cent support, respectively.

Although the Liberals have regained the support they lost in early March,  subsequent polling from other firms would be able to give a clearer picture.

But the reported results of some of the other questions asked every week by Nanos suggest that the Liberal party and Canada's prime minister, Justin Trudeau himself have taken a hit.
 
(Reporting by Asha Bajaj) 

#Ottawa,#Ontario, #Alberta, #justinTrudeau, #RachelNotley, #JohnHorganto, #TransMountainpipeline, #KinderMorgan, 

Ottawa/Alberta, Apr 15 (Canadian-Media): Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met today with Alberta Premier Rachel Notley and B.C. Premier John Horgan to discuss the pipeline issue, media reports said. 

Trudeau said his government had the authority to ensure the Trans Mountain pipeline is built and is taking the financial and legislative actions needed to make it happen.

"I have instructed the minister of finance to initiate formal financial discussions with Kinder Morgan, the result of which will be to remove the uncertainty overhanging the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project," said Trudeau in Ottawa today

Trudeau added the financial discussions with Kinder Morgan will not be in public and that when he has more details of the financial arrangement he would release them to Canadians. 

"I have also informed premiers Notley and Horgan today that we are actively pursuing legislative options that will assert and reinforce the government of Canada's jurisdiction in this matter which we know we clearly have," he added.  ​

Notley had earlier said that her province was also involved in the financial discussions that have already begun with Kinder Morgan.

"Today in the meeting, one of the things that we discussed was that the federal government along with the government of Alberta has commenced discussions with Kinder Morgan to establish a financial relationship that will eliminate investor risk," Notley said. 

"I am quite confident, that should these discussions end successfully, that the pipeline will be built. And that is good because the project is in the national interest." 

But Horgan failed to come to a form of consensus with Notley and Trudeau stressing that there needed to be some discussions by "our officials in British Columbia, to work with the federal government to ensure that, for example, when they're applying more resources to the oceans protection plan that they focus on the gaps that we see up the coast."

Trudeau said that his government had invested up to $1.5 billion to increase "responsiveness and resilience" along the West Coast and "put forward proposals on how they would like to see us improve the oceans protection plan... it's something we very much are open to doing."   

Improving that plan is also something Notley supports, explaining during Sundays' meeting the three parties had a "robust" discussion about what B.C. was looking for in terms of improvements. 

"All Canadians want to do everything that can be done to have best practices in place to actually bring about an improvement in marine safety along the West Coast," she said.

​At several points during his news conference Trudeau said B.C. had opposed the project which Trudeau said was in the national interest and added, 

"I want to encourage leaders of all stripes to keep one thing in mind as we go forward: B.C.ers and Albertans are not opponents, they are neighbours, they are fellow countrymen and women who want the best for themselves and for each other."

Horgan maintained that he would continue to pursue his province's right to block the pipeline through the courts, saying he would abide by whatever decision was handed down. 

"I absolutely believe in the rule of law. All Canadians do. And it's my view that should the courts render a decision that is counter to our position then that is the way it should be."

Notley said her government would pursue its own legal recourse to the dispute, promising legislation to protect her province's resource sector. 

Meanwhile Conservative Party Leader Andrew Scheer weighed in on the issue, saying Trudeau's record proves Canadians can't trust him to get major resource projects completed. 

"These new hurdles and extra costs have given investors a very clear signal: Justin Trudeau does not want their business in Canada," Scheer said.

Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh also pointed out the lack of Indigenous voices. 

Horgan says he'd accept the ruling of the courts, even if they don't side with his position.

Tensions over the Trans Mountain expansion have been building since Kinder Morgan suspended all non-essential spending on the project last week. The company has given the federal government until May 31 to deliver concrete assurances that the expanded line will get built.

But Notley, during the meeting on Sunday said she was confident that construction timeline could b met.

Kinder Morgan would not provide any clues as to whether it is pleased or upset about the outcome of the meeting. 

"Our objectives are to obtain certainty with respect to the ability to construct through B.C. and for the protection of our shareholders in order to build the Trans Mountain Expansion Project," the company said in a statement. 

"As we said last week, we do not intend to issue updates or further disclosures on the status of consultations until we've reached a sufficiently definitive agreement on or before May 31 that satisfies our objectives."

Trudeau's  plans to travel from Lima, Peru, before moving on to London, where he was scheduled to meet the queen changed Thursday, less than an hour before Trudeau's plane was scheduled to take off from Ottawa. 

"It became very clear that the level of polarization around this debate required significant measures," Trudeau said Saturday evening during his closing news conference in Lima. 

"I wanted to be able to sit down with the premier of British Columbia, the premier of Alberta together, and discuss issues of the national interest and demonstrate the federal government's' commitment to getting this project built."    


(Reporting by Asha Bajaj)

Morneau had a meeting with Rachel Notley, Alberta Premier yesterday in Toronto and had committed to consider financial, legal and regulatory measures in building the Trans Mountain pipeline.

But besides that, neither Morneau nor Notley  provided any other details about the meeting.

Notley had offered on Tuesday that her province was ready to purchase the pipeline project  in order to ensure the building of Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain Pipeline,

British Columbia (B.C.) government was of the firm belief that Kinder Morgan conditions had some legal challenges and  did not offer protections for shareholders. 

B.C. government  was committed to a court challenge to restrict the flow of oil-sands bitumen through the province. 

“If it is B.C.’s intent to exhaust Trans Mountain’s investors into submission, that strategy will not work. Alberta is prepared to take a public position in the company if it becomes necessary,” Notley said.
“No matter how hard the B.C. government may try, they cannot scare off our government or our province.”

Canada's Prime minister Justin Trudeau had tweeted a little while ago, "I wouldn’t approve major pipeline projects if I wasn’t confident they could be done safely. And they can be done safely because we’ve made a massive investment in protecting our oceans and coastlines – in BC and across the country."

(Reporting by Asha Bajaj)

​
​​

​The news caused tension in Alberta, British Columbia and federal governments for a few weeks.

Of the many causes was B.C.'s strongly concern for political risk posed by Trans Mountain pipeline expansion and its legal challenges.

Steve Kean, CEO of Kinder Morgan Canada also said that B.C. should have adequate protection of its shareholders.

On Sunday, B.C. Premier John Horgan said that the pipeline was not in the national interest and also clarified that the project had not been harassed by B.C.

"My views on this have been consistent for the past year," said Horgan. "We believe the risk is too great...rights of British Columbians to stand up and make sure that we're doing everything we can to protect the interests of our province...I don't want to do that in a provocative way. I don't want any threats. I don't want any ultimatums."

On the other hand Alberta Premier Rachel Notley announced during her news conference on Sunday that the Alberta government was prepared to do whatever it takes to get the pipeline built. 

"If we take that step, we will be a significantly more determined investor," Notley told reporters. "This pipeline will be built."

But even one of Notley's fiercest critics, Alberta United Conservative Party Leader Jason Kenney, backed the idea and said that Alberta government's forthcoming legislation would impose serious economic consequences on B.C.

Alex Pourbaix, CEO of Cenovus Energy, also called on the federal government to ensure that the project does not suffer the same fate as the Energy East project.

"If the rule of law is not upheld and this project is allowed to fail, it will have a chilling effect on investment not just in British Columbia, but across the whole country," he said in a statement.

Canad prime minister Justin Trudeau during his visit to Fort McMurray's oil sand s in North Alberta was able to convince of the importance of building of pipeline.

This Sunday he was Saskatchewan  and said on social media that "Canada is a country of the rule of law, and the federal government will act in the national interest." 

He also added once again that the pipeline expansion "will be built." but it was unclear what steps he would be taking.

(Reporting by Asha Bajaj)

#Fort McMurray, #Alberta, #Canada, #JustinTrudeau, #SteveWilliams, #OntarioLiberalgovernment, #SteveWilliams, #Métis, #FirstNationsleaders, #AllanAdam, 
​
Ottawa/Fort McMurray  (Alb), Apr 7 (Canadian-Media): Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's visit to Fort McMurray oilsands in northern Alberta city, was far from impressive to the residents,​ media reports said. 

Trudeau, guided by Suncor CEO Steve Williams, in his tour met with workers and informed them  about the Liberal government's plans to impose a national carbon tax.

​He also said that his government policies were slowing down investment in the oil and gas industry while capital was fleeing to the United States.

"You know what gives Canada a competitive disadvantage not being able to get our oil resources to new markets?" Trudeau said. "For 10 years Stephen Harper talked the oilsands up and weren't able to get [pipelines] done."

Following the tour, Williams without hesitation said he believed the Trans Mountain pipeline will get built.

"We actually approved a pipeline that for the very first time is going to get our oil to new markets," Trudeau told reporters after his tour of Suncor's new Fort Hills oilsands site, one of the largest oilsands projects in the region.

"Moving our resources to market is not just a priority for Albertans, but, for Canadians, and we are going to do that in a responsible way," and added there will always be protesters in politics,

Through the day, Trudeau met with other energy sector leaders, Wood Buffalo's mayor and the region's Métis and First Nations leaders.
​
Quintal said all the parties recognize the importance of working together.

"In the circumstance of economics, there's a really big pie," said Ron Quintal, president of the Fort McKay Métis. "And we don't want to fight over that pie."

Allan Adam, chief of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation &  Quintal, said that for the first time Indigenous groups from the region are meeting a Canadian prime minister. 

After the meeting with Trudeau, Adam announced that the region's First Nations had agreed to work together with pipeline builders.

"We want to be owners of a pipeline," said Adam, who has in the past been critical of the oilsands.

What we are looking for is potential partners to come and join with us and thus we can start lobbying the government in a proper way.

"We think that the pipeline is the most critical component to the oil and gas sector especially from this region."

(Reporting by Asha Bajaj)

​