Learning to share

Pipeline makes little progress

As adults sometimes we can forget the things we learned as children. The lessons that our parents and our teachers taught us from the very beginning  Stuff like, manners or sharing are sometimes forgotten as we grow up. Perhaps it is the fact that we aren't reminded by our parents everyday or maybe it's just that sometimes we feel we have to be mean or agressive to get what we need. In any case, today two provincial governments got together in an attempt to find some common ground.  The northern gateway oil pipeline project, is going to run through both British Columbia and Alberta. Before this pipeline can begin however there is a lot that needs to get done.

Without going into the all the legal workings and fine details that comes along with a large project such as this, we can see some of the first steps that need to be taken. For starters having both premiers and both provinces come to some agreements. Both premiers have verbally committed to striving to take all the necessary steps to look after the environment. Which is always a top priority when dealing with any pipeline or for that matter any project that can effect the environment. You can read exactly what both Alberta's Alison Redford and B.C.'s Christy Clark had to say at http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/story/2012/10/01/calgary-bc-alberta-alison-redford-christy-clark-northern-gateway.html. Despite the common goal for the environment, there still remains one issue on which the two sides don't see eye to eye.

Not overly surprisingly the disagreement revolves around money. The issue stems around revenues and royalties that would be generated by the pipeline. B.C. wants to have "fair" distribution of the economic benefits the pipeline would provide. Alison Redford however says Alberta is not willing to give up any of the projected royalties. Now being an Albertan it's not as though I'm suggesting we hand over the fiscal benefits of this project to B.C., I do however believe there is common ground to be found. This project could be a huge boost to our economy and beneficial for not only Albertans but all of Canada from growing our GDP, providing a mass number of job opportunities and bringing in added revenue for all sectors of government. With a project that could do so much good, I find it frustrating to see two adults so stubborn in their opinions that they are hardly even willing to talk about a compromise. With so many environmental obstacles already slowing the process you would think all parties involved would be willing to make some sacrifices to help the project along.