Projects of Pocketbook Interest
Need energy? Atlantic premiers have a plan for that. But it may cost you.
I was out of the news mix last week, putting together a special episode of CBC Radio’s The House about the Eastern Energy Partnership — the grab-bag of project proposals that Atlantic premiers have put on Prime Minister Mark Carney’s desk.
No, the $9 billion Mactaquac Dam upgrade is not part of the pitch — though it’s connected to the same energy grid that’s under pressure from rising demand.
All these projects could hit consumers in the pocketbook. Both Premier Susan Holt and N.B. Power CEO Lori Clark addressed that in our interviews.
You can find the episode on The House website and on the usual podcast apps, including Apple Podcasts:
Prefer to read the story? Here’s the web article based on the episode.
I’ve written about N.B. Power’s generation challenges before, including in this February 2023 story, though the above episode and story capture the situation — and the regional context — more fully.
Now, everyone, including John Herron, loves a good railway metaphor. But as the episode makes clear, these projects are not slam dunks. “Nation-building” projects have fallen victim to political and economic realities before.
What happens next? Here’s a closer look at the Bill C-5 process underway this summer.
Trump, Tariffs and Trade
The push for nation-building projects is a strategic response to Donald Trump’s tariffs, which he increased on Friday on non-CUSMA exports after negotiators failed to reach a deal.
Radio-Canada reported that, since March, the Holt government has cancelled no contracts with U.S. suppliers. It has, however, moved ahead with opening up liquor sales. Here’s the latest on that, from the little dépanneur just across the border near Edmundston.
And still with the interprovincial border stories, it’s now cheaper to travel by bridge or ferry between the Atlantic provinces.
In Other News
Picking up on the issue of seniors waiting for nursing home placements, Premier Susan Holt said on CBC’s Information Morning in the Summer last Friday that many seniors are refusing placements.
The province was ordered to reverse those library worker layoffs that provoked so much political trouble back in the spring.
We learned earlier in the week that there was little consideration given to the impact of those reductions.
Another Kind of Canadian Energy
An appropriate tune for this week’s big story?
Happy New Brunswick Day
That’s it for now. After the provincial holiday, I’m back into the regular news routine this week and there is a lot of political news to get to. Stay tuned!