Quick Dick McDick says the canolatariffs just cost his farm $100,000 overnight. Want to know what he thinks about that? That’s just ONE FARM, by the way. Just one.
Coal injunction:
I am working on a major five-part series to run next week on the efforts by some activists to use a court injunction to block Saskatchewan’s coal revival efforts before it even gets going. Among them is a Greta Mark II, a 12-year-old non-binary child who has been in the headlines at age 10 for the pronoun issue, then at age 11 for skipping school because of climate anxiety. Another doesn’t even live in Saskatchewan. You can’t make this up. As a prelude to that series, read Bronwyn Eyre’s column on judicial activism and lawfare. It ties directly into this coal injunction nonsense and is a good primer for what’s to come.
The biggest threat to a major policy announcement is a change in government that then completely reverses that decision. So on that basis, I spoke to the Saskatchewan NPD and asked:
I should note that Jason LeBlanc is VERY well known in the Saskatchewan farming community from his many years as an auctioneer. In 2019 when former Sask NDP Leader Ryan Meili disparaged LeBlanc for that very speech from the relative safety of in the legislature, registrations for the protest truck convoy heading to Regina in the next few days doubled overnight. The phone rang off the hook. Over 800 trucks showed up a few days later for that rally.
Aerial photos taken by Kevin Cooke from Dennis Mainil’s airplane, flying over the convoy from Weyburn to Regina.
You can watch the video of Mieli in question period here. Go to time index 2:03:00. The Hansard written record of the debate can be found here on Page 5646.
Here’s a union supporting a right-wing government’s move to rebuild its coal fleet. It has everything to do with the left wing wants their industry to disappear, and the SaskParty is moving to keep it going for decades to come. Interesting, that. As in the musical Hamilton – The World Turned Upside Down.
“Saskatchewan’s leadership in asserting provincial jurisdiction over its energy future deserves recognition. While the federal mandate to phase out coal-fired electricity by 2030 posed existential threats to entire communities, this new direction offers hope and continuity.”
I’ll have a more in-depth interview with the union in coming days, as well as a similar story from the other union involved, and a similar tale.
Saskatchewan is rebuildings its coal fleet. Here’s a chance to hear from Crown Investments Corp and SaskPower Minister Jeremy Harrison explain how this came about. It’s the biggest energy decision in 10 years. If you work in the coal industry in take time this weekend to watch/listen.
So much for Canada becoming an “energy superpower.” With additional pipelines to the west coast, the idea is dead in its tracks. Eby says he won’t be changing mind on another B.C. pipeline, rebuffing Ford
But but but – everyone was so happy about their confab with the new prime minister.
In Pipeline Online’s continuing mission to tell you exactly what the federal Liberal government is saying on energy and environmental policy, this is the verbatim speech of the new Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Tim Hodgson, who spoke at the Calgary Chamber of Commerce on May 23. In this case, the ministry was kind enough to provide the transcript online, indicating this is a message they really, really want to get out there.
And it is worth taking in. This guy sounds NOTHING like Wilkinson or Guilbeault. He promises reviews in 2 years, not 5. Wilkinson wanted to keep it in the ground.
You can also watch it in the link provided in the story on CPAC’s YouTube channel. I encourage you to take the time to do so. It’s cued up to start at his speech, but if you want to hear his background, which including working on the financing for the Alliance Pipeline, rewind a bit and hear a glowing introduction from the CEO of Suncor.
Notably, the Alliance Pipeline he mentioned financing was the last major pipeline project I worked on. I started work three weeks after my wedding. And out of the 12 guys on my road bore crew, I was the only one married once.
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For giggles, if you want to see who the Anti-Zinchuk is, this is a video from Markham Hislop. He posts daily videos hating everything about the Canadian energy sector, from every angle imaginable. In this video he shoots down the idea Hodgson speaks of regarding Canada becoming an energy superpower. Didn’t Harper come up with that? That’s right, he did.
It got 14000 views in less than a day, and 255 comments.
Be sure to check out the Pipeline Online Podcast at 1 p.m. Monday, May 26, live on X, LinkedIn and Facebook, with guest Ken From, former CEO of SaskEnergy, TSASK, PTRC, and Prairie Hunter Energy.
Note: Eyre and Pipeline Online editor Brian Zinchuk will be cohosting the Pipeline Online Podcast at 2 p.m. on Monday, May 12. The guest will be E. Craig Lothian, who has run many oil companies in Saskatchewan over the years. Watch live on X, Facebook or LinkedIn. And if you do watch live, you can comment or ask questions in real time.
Danielle Smith implies not necessarily separation, but separation if necessary. Smith throws down a citizen-led separation gauntlet in her demands Ottawa meet Alberta’s demands. Here’s her speech, verbatim. The video is embedded.
