The Alberta government has again taken out ads in newspapers across Canada, this time saying the Trans Mountain pipeline’s delay is costing the country.
The full-page advertisement, published Thursday, says the project’s delay costs Canadians $40 million every day.
It read, in part: “The recent court decision on the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion could mean big delays and big losses for our country. This impacts each and every one of us.”
This latest push comes two weeks after a ruling from the Federal Court of Appeal, which squashed Ottawa’s approval of the project. It concluded the process was flawed, and that the Trudeau government did not engage in meaningful dialogue with First Nations.
Premier Rachel Notley said Thursday she wants a “clear plan” from the federal government to get the project back on track.
“We need that for the working people who rely on it. We need it for the investors—not only in the pipeline, but the investors in the energy sector who are literally on the verge of coming back and reinvesting in Alberta.”
The campaign urges readers to take action and let Ottawa know it “should minimize any delay” to the expansion.
Notley also said it was important to keep the project front and centre in the minds of decision makers and influencers.
“That was and is the point of the advertising campaign. The nature of it, the frequency of it… that’s something we’re going to adjust as needed.”
The Government of Alberta said the campaign costs $450,000 a week, money that had previously been allocated in an advertising budget.
One marketing professor says the advertisement “makes sense” and if he had any criticisms of it, it would be that it came too late.
“You’d be surprised at the number of people who don’t even realize the amount of money we lose because we have to sell our oil at a discount to the Americans,” said Michael Roberts, who specializes in international business and marketing at MacEwan University.
“People have these factoids now, and I think they’re powerful.”
The ad can be seen online and in newspapers in all of the provinces except New Brunswick and Quebec, where election campaigns are underway.
The Alberta government printed full-page ads in B.C.’s major newspapers in February after that province made proposals that would affect pipeline projects. The earlier campaign was titled “We used to be so close” and read: “Despite the current differences between our governments, British Columbians and Albertans share the same goals.”