His willingness to back new pipelines is a rare example of the interprovincial co-operation Canada needs to strengthen its economy and national unity

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew welcomes pipelines. That’s good news for Canadian unity, prosperity and independence. It’s also good for Manitobans and Indigenous people like himself.

At the Calgary Stampede last month, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced their interest in a Northern Shield Energy Corridor. The proposed pipeline would carry 500,000 barrels of oil per day from Hardisty, Alberta, to a refinery in Sarnia, Ontario. Unlike Enbridge’s Line 5, which passes through Michigan, this 3,300-km line would stay in Canada. Neither Donald Trump nor a Michigan governor could put a kink in it.

Kinew’s support is critical because almost 500 km of the proposed pipeline would have to pass through Manitoba. Fortunately, he’s prepared to offer it.

“I love Alberta, I love Albertans, so (I’m) willing to entertain the idea,” he told The Canadian Press. “If it’s going to make Canada stronger, great, but of course we want to see things done in the right way.”

This kind of commentary is harder to extract from a Quebec premier than its shale gas. It would actually be hard to get from any non-Albertan premier. So, with Canada in recession and Albertans rattling about independence, it is most refreshing to hear these warm words from a Manitoba NDP premier.

Kinew has a few reasonable conditions. “We want Indigenous governments onside. We want workers taken care of. We want the environmental concerns all looked after.”

That first condition could be thorny, but Kinew’s posture makes it easier. That said, in recent years, many First Nations along the route of proposed pipelines have been supportive, given the equity stake or other financial terms they stand to gain. In British Columbia, some of the loudest opposition from First Nations came from those on the coast. That’s just not a factor in most of Manitoba.

Of course, Manitoba does have a seashore at Hudson Bay, but unlike obstructionist B.C. premiers, Kinew welcomes the possibility of oil or natural gas getting shipped from there. The stance has soured some NDP people, such as former candidate and former vice-president Chris Wiebe. He gave up his party membership last year over Kinew’s support for the idea. But frankly, what other prospects for economic development does northern Manitoba have?

Ford suggested a Northern Shield Pipeline could run an offshoot to the Port of Churchill, even though that option had no direct benefit to Ontario.

“Everyone’s throwing each other bones,” Kinew said. “I think it’s an exciting time to be a Canadian—lots of economic development on the horizon.”

That’s the right attitude, and the kind Canada can build upon. Canada has 168 billion barrels of proven oil reserves and 2.1 trillion cubic metres of natural gas. However, most of the oil is in Alberta, while most of the natural gas is in provinces west of Manitoba. Pipelines are very necessary for Canada to meet the domestic and export potential of this coveted resource.

The failure to build pipelines has cost this country dearly. When Russia’s invasion of Ukraine left countries scrambling for other sources of oil and gas, Canada could not respond. Had Northern Gateway, Energy East and Keystone XL become real, things would have been different. Now, despite having enough proven oil reserves to last for 80 years, we continue to import more than 500,000 barrels per day.

Although Prime Minister Mark Carney has signalled more openness to pipelines than Justin Trudeau, he seems unprepared to overrule provincial leadership. Kinew’s NDP counterpart in British Columbia, David Eby, remains opposed to pipelines. As a concession, Carney won’t lift the federal ban on oil tankers on B.C.’s northern coast.

This makes Kinew’s qualified support of pipelines even more welcome. Canadian political leadership, of all political stripes, needs to get behind Canadian oil and gas. That’s not just good for Alberta, it’s good for Canada. And it’s long overdue.

Lee Harding is a research fellow at the Frontier Centre for Public Policy. He holds a Master of Public Policy (U of C) and a BA in Journalism, with a career spanning major networks like CBC and Global TV, as well as landmark published research on Canadian economic and social policy.