The NDP government has spent more than $20 million to convince Canadians why the pipeline expansion is needed.
The marketing campaign, Keep Canada Working, is aimed at getting Canadians on board with Trans Mountain Pipeline— a project that would triple the amount of oil that flows to the west coast, as well as increase its value.
“It is a win to make sure that more Canadians understand it better than maybe they did a few years ago,” Premier Rachel Notley said Thursday.
“It’s not just about Albertans out there complaining; it is actually about the economic prosperity and security of Canadians from across this country.”
The $23.4-million campaign includes $6.6 million for television, $158,000 for radio and $510,000 for newspapers. The other $16.1 million is being spent on internet ads, billboards and ad agencies.
For the UCP, the marketing campaign is a little too late.
“Unfortunately the NDP spent over a year following TransMountain’s paper approval spiking the football, doing little to promote the merits of the project,” spokesperson Christine Wyatt said.
A new environmental assessment on the expansion is due in February, and the federal government is undergoing Indigenous consultations before the project can be approved.
With files from Bill Fortier
