The premiers of Alberta, Ontario, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick and the Northwest Territories are mixing business with pleasure at the Calgary Stampede.
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney will officially welcome the other provincial leaders at a traditional white hat ceremony during the annual Stampede pancake breakfast this morning.
According to Canadian Press, formal meetings will follow, noting the five leaders share common goals such as building pipelines and free trade within Canada.
The Calgary meeting will “build on discussions from last month’s Western Premiers’ Conference in Edmonton,” where Kenney and B.C. Premier John Horgan clashed over the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project that would carry Alberta oil to the West Coast.
Kenney warned that Alberta was ready to use provincial legislation to limit oil and gas exports to any province blocking pipelines, while Horgan said his government would push ahead with a legal challenge of that law.
The first ministers are expected wind up their Calgary gathering by taking in some Stampede rodeo action before travelling to Saskatoon for this week’s Council of the Federation meeting.
(Canadian Press)
