Premiers Ford, Smith Set to Sign Agreement on Energy and Trade Infrastructure

Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding on new energy and trade infrastructure.

Premiers from across Canada have been working together to get rid of interprovincial trade barriers in light of U.S. tariffs and their impact on the economy. The One Canadian Economy Act, formerly known as Bill C-5, seeks to boost interprovincial trade and came into effect on July 1.

Ford will be in Calgary on July 7 for a signing ceremony of the memorandum of understanding, according to an advisory from the premier’s office.

Ford has previously shown support for pipeline projects in his province and beyond, calling on Prime Minister Mark Carney to support new infrastructure, from pipelines to highways to seaports, “to help Canadian goods reach new customers in new markets while binding our country together and reducing our reliance on the United States.”

However, B.C. Premier David Eby has been less open to a new pipeline from Alberta into his province. He has previously said that if a new pipeline between the provinces was viable, there would already be private money available.

Smith said one of her top priorities is to convince Eby to support a western pipeline, but Eby said he remains skeptical.

“Count me as skeptical, and count me as opposed to the idea of tens of billions of dollars of additional federal subsidy when we have a pipeline that is not currently at capacity in our province operating right now,” he said, referring to the Trans Mountain pipeline. He said he was not in favour of any project that would require funding from Ottawa.

The One Canadian Economy legislation allows the government to fast-track what Carney has called “nation-building” projects, but he has yet to confirm which projects will go ahead.

Internal Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland announced the government would be dropping all federal barriers to trade between the provinces, noting it will reduce red tape.

“Removal of all federal exceptions in the Canadian Free Trade Agreement is one of the many recent measures we are taking … to eliminate internal trade barriers and cut red tape for Canadian businesses,” she said.

Ford has already signed memorandums of understanding to remove trade barriers with Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island.

Ford is preparing to host the premiers at the Council of the Federation in Huntsville, Ont., on July 21–23.

Jennifer Cowan contributed to this article.