PROVINCIAL & TERRITORIAL POLICY TRENDS

Western Region

Ottawa delivers $9.7 million to support Alberta jobs, hydrogen industry

The federal government delivered nearly $10 million on January 17 to support Alberta’s growing hydrogen industry as the province continues to accuse Ottawa of wanting to shut down jobs in its energy sector. The federal money is expected to support 1,600 jobs by improving access to hydrogen fuels, supporting product testing, attracting investment and providing more training for Alberta workers.

New carbon-reduction requirements in British Columbia lower emissions on the road

British Columbia is fulfilling a commitment identified as a key action in the CleanBC Roadmap to 2030 to increase the 2030 carbon-intensity reduction target for the diesel and gasoline fuel pools from 20 per cent to 30 per cent under the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS). Amendments to the Renewable and Low Carbon Fuel Requirements Regulation will now require fuel suppliers to reduce the carbon intensity of diesel and gasoline fuel pools supplied in B.C. to reach an overall reduction of 30 per cent by 2030, relative to 2010 levels.

Tilbury energy project emerges as battleground over planned LNG exports from Canada

An industrial site in British Columbia has emerged as a battleground over whether governments that have pledged to fight climate change should approve new projects to export liquefied natural gas. The Tilbury Pacific Marine Jetty project is seeking permission to build a new two-berth dock for Tilbury Island in the Vancouver suburb of Delta. Environmental groups say pending decisions by cabinet ministers on the Delta jetty proposal will be an important indicator of whether there is a political appetite in Canada for exporting LNG.

Prairie Region

USask awarded $14 million to support innovative crop research

The University of Saskatchewan (USask) has been awarded $14 million through the province’s Agriculture Development Fund, with $7.2 million of the funds allocated to operating the Crop Development Centre for the next five years. The innovative crop-related projects that received funding included using plant-derived ethanol and biodiesel to reduce plastic waste.

Police board asks Saskatchewan city to enact pay-before-you-pump bylaw

In an effort to combat the high number of fuel theft complaints being reported to police in Prince Albert,

Saskatchewan, the Board of Police Commissioners have asked City Council to consider implementing a bylaw requiring the pre-payment of fuel at all gas stations in Prince Albert. Back in December, City Administration received a letter from the Board of Police Commissioners that described a “considerable increase” in the number of thefts involving fuel being stolen in Prince Albert between 2019 and September of 2022.

ONTARIO/QUEBEC REGION

Quebec’s ‘green’ zeal likely to push Trudeau government’s climate policies

Newly released internal federal government polling shows that voters in Quebec are keen to see the federal government do more to fight climate change and that they think climate change is a bigger problem than inflation or high gas prices. And because of the electoral volatility of many seats in Quebec, any party that wishes to form government in Ottawa must account for the extraordinary zeal Quebecers have for ‘green’ policies. The political implication for the Trudeau Liberals is that Quebec is in a position to have an outsize influence on national climate, energy and environment policies.

Atlantic Canada

Premier says talk of First Nations tax turmoil is 'hypothetical'

New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs says he doesn’t expect major disruptions when tax-sharing agreements between Wolastoqey communities and the New Brunswick government expire at the end of the month because there will be legal consequences if reserves ignore provincial tax laws. Higgs would not say what he thinks would happen Feb. 1 if bands implement their own tax laws that undercut neighbouring off-reserve businesses.

Northern Canada

N.W.T. MLAs hear from public on carbon tax changes

Northwest Territories MLAs held a public hearing on Jan. 23 over Bill 60, which would amend the territory’s Petroleum Products and Carbon Tax Act to allow the government to increase carbon taxes in accordance with new federal rules. In August of 2021, the federal government announced that in 2023, it would begin increasing the price on carbon pollution by a greater annual increment, and it will ban rebates that directly offset the impact of carbon taxes.