With federal elections around the bend, premiers representing Canada’s West signed an agreement on projects they say they need, according to Yukon Premier Ranj Pillai.
“We need to ensure that as political parties, whether it's the governing party or ones that are jockeying to become the governing party, that they understand that when it comes to Western Canada and Northern Canada, we want to ensure whatever leader it is, that they start committing to investing in the North and in the West in an appropriate manner,” Pillai told local media following the annual Western Premiers’ Conference, hosted in Whitehorse.
The West in this case includes the three territories and the four provinces from Manitoba westward to B.C. Premiers from the seven Canadian jurisdictions met over the weekend in the territory prior to a press conference at Northlight Innovation on Second Avenue in Whitehorse on June 10.
Pillai noted the memorandum of understanding, or MOU, signed by the premiers is intended to highlight key projects in each jurisdiction at the national level.
“We haven't seen the ambition that we need in this country, and that's what we want — to be able to use that MOU to be able to say to the rest of Canada these are the things that we believe are really important to drive this country,” Pillai said.
“Our productivity is going down. Competitors across the world are gaining on us and surpassing us, and this country really needs to be ambitious.”
For the Yukon, Pillai said that priority is grid connection.
“We want to look at a transmission corridor that would go from Whitehorse down to British Columbia. Alberta is looking at having infrastructure that goes east-west with Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Manitoba has got surplus energy right now and that they would like to be able to feed into other parts of Western Canada,” he said.
Pillai stated the Yukon government is putting over $1 million into that project this year for building out the framework, looking at a business model and bringing First Nation governments together. He said the territory has applied for a fund focused on moving forward a “critical minerals economy” through Natural Resources Canada, but no decisions have been made publicly on it. He has spoken to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and federal ministers about it.
"It's over $60 million that we've requested,” Pillai said.
“I think, as there's growth in population, as we see defence spending get very significant, we're going to need connection to the North American grid.”
The premiers also discussed affordability and housing, Arctic security, public safety and disaster preparedness and response, according to a joint communique.
During the press conference, British Columbia Premier David Eby expressed frustration over the federal government putting resources, energy and money into two specific eastern provinces “at the expense of the West.”
“I won't put this on anyone else. But I'll say, for British Columbia, how frustrated we are to see the money being showered down on Quebec and Ontario, and us scrabbling around for what's left over,” Eby said.
“It's not acceptable. It is not okay.”
Eby specifically criticized the federal government offering $750 million to Quebec to help pay for a surge in temporary immigrants to the province.
“That announcement today with Quebec, frankly, is the straw that broke this camel's back. I cannot understand how that could happen,” he said.
“I look forward to the call from the prime minister to share with us the details of their immigration funding for British Columbia on a per capita basis — the exact same as Quebec got today.”
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith implied her province is seeing also different treatment from the feds when it comes to newcomers like those from Ukraine.
“We have not seen the same kind of support for those new arrivals in the same way that Premier Eby has talked about,” she said.
“In addition, we've been asking for an increase in our provincial nominee allotment.”
Premier Ranj Pillai previously told reporters the Yukon isn’t seeking an increase to how many nominees are allowed here. New intakes to the Yukon nominee program are currently on pause for Whitehorse-based businesses as the current number of applications has well exceeded the federally imposed cap.
"I think that everybody's got concerns around it ... there's things happening in every jurisdiction and they’re uncomfortable about that,” Pillai told reporters after the press conference.
“But I think everybody wants to make sure that we're aligned.”
Pillai indicated he’s looking to speak with Immigration Minister Marc Miller real soon.
“My biggest concern is we know that we have more applications than we have spots for the nominees. But we also have a bunch of students that are here that are Yukoners,” he said.
“They're living here, they have homes, they’re a part of our economy, and there's no spots in the nominee program.”
Last month, premiers representing the three territories met in Nunavut for the yearly Northern Premiers’ Forum, which touched on some similar topics as the Western Premiers’ Conference but with a focus on the North.
— With files from the Canadian Press
Contact Dana Hatherly at dana.hatherly@yukon-news.com
