Labour / Migration

Canada Approves PetroChina's $1.9 Billion Majority Stake In Athabasca Oil Sands
January 1, 2010 6:55 a.m. EST
AHN Staff

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (AHN) - Canadian Industry Minister Tony Clement has okayed PetroChina International Investment Company Limited to take a majority ownership in the Athabasca Oil Sands Corporation.

Clement said he approved the application for PetroChina to pay $1.9 billion for a 60 percent stake in Athabasca's MacKay and Dover Oil Sands projects after he became satisfied the investment would provide a net benefit to Canada.

U.S. consul general watching oilsands closely
The Canadian Press
Date: Saturday Jan. 2, 2010

CALGARY — A career diplomat is keeping a close eye on the failures and successes within Alberta's oilsands and is reporting what she learns to the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama.

Canadian Arctic gas pipeline report due Wednesday
Tue Dec 29, 2009

CALGARY, Alberta, Dec 29 (Reuters) - The panel assessing the socioeconomic and environmental impact of a C$16.2 billion ($15.6 billion) gas pipeline in northern Canada will issue its long-awaited report on Wednesday, a day earlier than expected, the Northern Gas Project Secretariat said.

The Joint Review Panel has been preparing its findings and recommendations on the proposed 1,220 km (760 mile) Mackenzie Pipeline since public hearings into the project wrapped up more than two years ago.

TransCanada weathers the storm.
Calgary Herald
Thursday, December 24th, 2009
Canwest News Service

CALGARY – TransCanada Corp. managed to weather the downturn surprisingly well.

After an uncertain start to 2009, the Calgary-based pipeline company, which operates Canada's largest natural-gas network, managed to advance its suite of growth projects despite the financial crisis and the recession.

County commission votes to oppose pipeline

By PAIGE CARSWELL
Published: Wednesday, December 23, 2009 1:39 PM CST
Cowley County commissioners passed a resolution during their Tuesday morning meeting in support of denying a property tax exemption to TransCanada Keystone Pipeline.

The resolution states several reasons the exemption should not be granted, including that businesses operating within the lines of a county should “pay their fair share” and that the pipeline has not been given a tax exemption in any other state.

Lawyers, not engineers, to dominate work on carbon storage in 2010

[Pembina endorses the concept of carbon capture and sequestration at the end]

By Bob Weber (CP)
December 26 2009

EDMONTON — Before you start putting carbon in the ground, you first have to put lawyers in a room.

After a year that saw billions of dollars in public funds sprayed around a variety of carbon capture and storage pilot projects, the focus in 2010 will shift from splashy press conferences to quiet boardrooms where officials will work out exactly how all that money will be spent.

Alberta oilsands comeback predicted to fuel economic growth

By MARKUS ERMISCH, QMI AGENCY
Last Updated: 24th December 2009

Following a sharp economic contraction this year, Alberta's economy is forecast to be one of Canada's fastest growing provinces in 2010.

Scotiabank economist Alex Koustas predicts that in 2010, the energy province's GDP will grow by 2.9% after shrinking 2.6% this year.

Only B.C., at 3%, is forecast to grow at a faster rate.

Shaky economy hinders Long Lake oilsands project
By MARKUS ERMISCH, SUN MEDIA
10th December 2009

Nexen Inc. is delaying the expansion of its Long Lake oilsands project by one year to 2011, citing Canada's hesitant economic recovery and a lack of clarity about new environmental regulations as major reasons.

"Right across our industry, there is quite a measured approach to the pace of investment," Nexen CEO Marvin Romanow said in a conference call yesterday.

Canada ranks low on climate change report card
By Kelly Cryderman, Calgary Herald
December 14, 2009

COPENHAGEN — Canada ranks just ahead of Saudi Arabia when it comes to progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, says an annual climate change performance report looking at 57 high-emitting countries.

"Looking at the emissions level of the ranked countries, the United States, Canada and Russia place very poorly," says the report, to be officially released as global climate change talks resume in Copenhagen Monday.

Ontario, Quebec say they won’t shoulder oilsands burden
By Kelly Cryderman, Calgary Herald
December 13, 2009

COPENHAGEN — Delegations from Ontario and Quebec wasted no time before differentiating their position from the federal government’s after arriving Sunday at the climate change conference in Copenhagen — declaring they weren’t going to carry higher emission-reduction burdens for the sake of oilsands expansion in the Western provinces.