Provinces to collaborate on nation-building projects

Key Takeaways:

• Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba have signed an agreement to work together on projects that can boost trade and economic growth.
• The agreement will focus on enhancing critical infrastructure, improving the efficiency of interprovincial transportation networks and reducing regulatory hurdles.
• The trio highlighted the transcontinental railway as an example of the kinds of nation-building projects they are looking to achieve.

The Whole Story:

Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba have signed an agreement to collaborate on joint economic corridor projects to boost trade and economic growth.

Officials say the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the governments will foster the development of new economic corridors across the three provinces. 

This partnership aims to bolster economic growth and collaboration while strengthening the region’s position as a key player in the global market.

“In its earliest days, Canada was united by nation-building economic projects such as the transcontinental railway, which tied the country together through improved travel and trade,” said officials in a joint statement.

The agreement will focus on enhancing critical infrastructure, improving the efficiency of interprovincial transportation networks and reducing regulatory hurdles. It will also identify opportunities to attract private sector investment and partner with Indigenous communities on economic corridor development.

Officials from the province stated that they believe the last decade has brought regulatory uncertainty, anti-development policies and a lack of national leadership that have cost provinces opportunities to pursue projects that would have created thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in growth and investment.

The three provincial governments plan to work together to eliminate regulatory inefficiency and uncertainty to attract and develop nation-building projects. The provinces will coordinate to identify and prioritize strategic infrastructure that will enhance trade and transportation between the provinces and around the world. Officials believe that this could create new economic corridors to support the movement of critical resources, energy and utility projects, and secure national supply chains.