Ontario Premier Doug Ford has thrown his full support behind the proposed Northern Shield Energy Corridor, a pipeline that would transport Alberta oil 3,300 kilometres from Hardisty, Alta., to refineries in Sarnia, Ont. In an op-ed published in the Financial Post, Ford argued that the project is critical for Canada's energy security, economic independence, and national sovereignty.
A nation-building project for energy independence
Ford emphasized that energy security is synonymous with national security and economic security. He stated that the decisions governments make about energy policy will determine Canada's future, especially at a time when protecting national sovereignty is a top priority. The Northern Shield Energy Corridor is described as an all-Canadian pipeline, built with Canadian steel by Canadian workers, entirely within Canada's borders.
The pipeline would initially carry 500,000 barrels of Canadian oil per day, with the potential to expand to 800,000 barrels per day. Ford noted that increasing the flow of Alberta oil to Sarnia could expand refining capacity, create more jobs, and reduce reliance on potentially unreliable foreign imports. He criticized previous federal governments for blocking pipeline projects that would have created tens of thousands of jobs and reduced dependence on foreign oil.
Lessons from global instability
Ford pointed to recent events in Iran and resulting price shocks at the gas pumps as evidence of the need for a domestic fuel reserve. Ontario is exploring the feasibility of a strategic petroleum reserve in the Sarnia area to store critical fuels like diesel, gasoline, and jet fuel. Such a reserve would help cushion the impact of global disruptions on drivers, families, and businesses.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, a key ally in the project, stated that “pipelines have gone from impossible to a national imperative.” Ford echoed this sentiment, arguing that Canadians cannot leave their prosperity in the hands of other countries and must take full control of their economic future.
Streamlining approvals and government investment
Ford acknowledged that the risk of building major energy infrastructure in Canada often outweighs the reward, and that must change. He called on governments to streamline and speed up approvals, bring regulatory certainty, and provide the capital necessary to build next-generation trade and energy infrastructure. He stressed that the cost of defending sovereignty is not reflected on private-sector balance sheets, and government may need to step in with funding.
Ford concluded by stating that the Northern Shield Energy Corridor will build a safer and more prosperous future for a secure and sovereign Canada.
