Thoughts on BC Politics and More

T he Canadian oilpatch has a brand-new pipeline, something it's pleaded for year after year, and it offers a relatively quick route to the West Coast and overseas markets. But a year in, the newly expanded Trans Mountain Pipeline still isn't running at full capacity — though the CEO of the Crown corporation says he doesn't think it's a problem. The pipeline has downgraded its forecasts for the amount of oil expected to flow through the system over the next three years, according to Reuters ... CLICK HERE for the full story

In 2024, four energy mega-projects totalling $80 billion to $100 billion in private and public sector investment in B.C. were either completed and commissioned or substantially completed. With the wind-down of construction activity on the Coastal GasLink pipeline, Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, Site C dam and LNG Canada, B.C.’s most significant economic driver—the resource sector—is now poised for deceleration and lower economic growth in the coming years, according to economists and business leaders. “We don’t have a lot of projects that are currently in play that will take over from LNG Canada and Site C once they’re complete" ... CLICK HERE for the full story

 Construction on the Trans Mountain pipeline in 2022 cost almost $9 billion, almost double the estimate of $5.3 billion , a Global News analysis has discovered.   The expenditure for the Crown corporation expansion, found through a detailed reading of filings that included corporate plan summaries and projections, is one of several line items that reveal how a project purchased by Ottawa exceeded its original cost estimate by a factor of six, from $5.4 billion to $30.9 billion.   The most telling details pertain to “ uncapped ” costs, a catch-all term pipeline companies use to describe expenditures that are more difficult to plan for in advance or that are subject to price swings. Accommodations with Indigenous groups and the cost of steel are two examples.   Another is the construction through B.C.’s treacherous mountains and down to the coast. The ‘uncapped’ costs for this stretch ballooned from an initial estimate of $315 million in 2017 to $7.4 bill...

Hello once again, and welcome to Day Seven, as we take a look back at the stories and commentaries you and others who visit this blog site found to be the most interesting.   Let’s get underway ... here’s ... #10 ... DAN ALBAS -- The numbers, in a word, are staggering (July 9 th ) ... the deficit for this fiscal year is expected to hit $343 billion. To put that figure into perspective, during the world financial crises in 2009, the federal deficit at that time was $56 billion. Our total debt in Canada is now expected to hit $1.06 trillion in 2021, significantly up from $685 billion in the previous fiscal year. Keep in mind, this is the spending to date ... #9 ... JOHN FELDSTED -- We don’t need a continuation of current governance with a different brand label on the running gear (July 6 th ) ... The left is comprised of empty suits, propped up by the hollow slogans, spat out during its protest marches and union strikes. It is comprised of an amoral and greedy social eli...

Oil and Natural Gas Industry Offers a Pathway to Rapid and Sustainable Recovery      As governments work toward reopening and rebuilding the economy, Canada’s oil and natural gas industry is positioned to play a critical role in developing solutions and delivering results. Oil and natural gas is one of Canada’s largest employers and most significant economic growth generators, and can drive a robust economic recovery to the benefit of the entire country. Click here to learn more on how Canada's oil and natural gas industry can help lead our economic recovery.    Shovel-Ready and Shovel-Worthy   We have seen groups popping up and suggesting that now is a time for a transition to green energy and to move away from fossil fuels. Oil and natural gas projects are shovel-ready and shovel-worthy. These projects will put Canadians back to work with a multi-billion-dollar national supply chain, offer economic and self-sustaining opportunities for Indi...