Northern Development

[Jerry J. Fortin]

So far this week I have read about the MacKensie Pipeline Project and an iron mine on Baffin Island. I was very pleased to read about these things because I believe that we are about to turn and march down a new path. I think northern development is moving to the front burner, perhaps not in political terms but in realistic terms.

[Keepitsimple]

So far this week I have read about the MacKensie Pipeline Project and an iron mine on Baffin Island. I was very pleased to read about these things because I believe that we are about to turn and march down a new path. I think northern development is moving to the front burner, perhaps not in political terms but in realistic terms.

A pleasant change. It's nice to see that you support at least ONE of Harper's initiatives:

Iqaluit site of northern development agency: PM

The headquarters for the new Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency will be located in Iqaluit, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced on Tuesday.

Harper was joined by Nunavut MP Leona Aglukkaq and Indian and Northern Affairs Minister Chuck Strahl in making the announcement at the city's Arctic Winter Games Arena, as part of the prime minister's five-day tour.

"Today's announcement stands as a clear demonstration of our government's commitment to the North, a commitment to its people, and a commitment to its future," Harper said at the announcement.

"We know the gaze of other nations is increasingly focused here, in our Arctic. By working to reach this region's full potential, full economic potential, we are strengthening its people and we are strengthening the sovereignty of our country."

Harper first promised to set up the stand-alone regional economic development agency in Canada's North during last fall's election campaign. It was also mentioned in last November's throne speech.

Satellite offices in Yellowknife, Whitehorse

The agency, CanNor, will be similar to those that already exist in the western provinces, northern Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada and will deliver federal funding for economic development, advocacy and research.

The agency will have satellite offices in Yellowknife and Whitehorse.

In deciding where to base the agency's headquarters, Harper said senior government officials gave him many reasons why it shouldn't be situated in Iqaluit, citing difficulties finding enough housing and staff.

But that was exactly why he wanted to put the agency in the Nunavut capital, he said.

"The whole idea of this agency is it's supposed to be an economic development agency," Harper said.

"So why don't we, as a federal government, face that directly by putting the agency where the challenges are the greatest, and overcoming them ourselves?"

Nunavut Premier Eva Aariak said she is aware that both the Yukon and the Northwest Territories had wanted to host the CanNor headquarters in their capital cities.

"I'm very much willing to work with [the] other two territories because they will also have an office with the economic development agency here," Aariak said.

The recent federal budget earmarked $50 million, or $10 million for each of the next five years, for the agency, but the government did not reveal then where it would build the agency's head office.

For now, CanNor will take over some existing programs that are currently run by the federal government. Harper said it will later expand and develop its own programs that are adapted to the realities in the three territories.

Harper added that the agency marks the end of an era of paternalism in the North, which was run by the federal government during much of the last century.

Link to full article: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/north/story/2009/08/18/harper-north-cabinet-meeting-iqaluit259.html?ref=rss

Edited January 1, 2010 by Keepitsimple

[Jerry J. Fortin]

A pleasant change. It's nice to see that you support at least ONE of Harper's initiatives:

Link to full article: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/north/story/2009/08/18/harper-north-cabinet-meeting-iqaluit259.html?ref=rss

I am not anti-Harper by any stretch of the imagination. Harper and the Conservatives have had MANY good ideas, and I applaud and thank both him and his government for doing the correct thing, when they actually do it. I am neither left or right in terms of ideology so I can support initiatives from either side of spectrum.

I would like to believe that I am like most Canadians in that we will support the faction that provides the best solutions regardless of partisan affiliation. In the case of northern development I believe that this is exactly what we need to be doing right now. If I had my way I would be setting up Federal Crown Corporations and do an immense amount of capital investment for mining and other industrial development in the great open expanse of the north. I would design education programs to suit the development potential and have skilled labour in place to realize that employment when the time came. I would suggest that this nation now has the ability to undertake this development of the north with the need for foreign investment. This is a radical departure from the development of southern Canada, when we did not have the means. It represents an opportunity that should not be overlooked.

[Keepitsimple]

I am not anti-Harper by any stretch of the imagination. Harper and the Conservatives have had MANY good ideas, and I applaud and thank both him and his government for doing the correct thing, when they actually do it. I am neither left or right in terms of ideology so I can support initiatives from either side of spectrum.

I would like to believe that I am like most Canadians in that we will support the faction that provides the best solutions regardless of partisan affiliation. In the case of northern development I believe that this is exactly what we need to be doing right now. If I had my way I would be setting up Federal Crown Corporations and do an immense amount of capital investment for mining and other industrial development in the great open expanse of the north. I would design education programs to suit the development potential and have skilled labour in place to realize that employment when the time came. I would suggest that this nation now has the ability to undertake this development of the north with the need for foreign investment. This is a radical departure from the development of southern Canada, when we did not have the means. It represents an opportunity that should not be overlooked.

Then I'm sorry for implying otherwise.....I too am glad we're taking some action on the North.

[Jerry J. Fortin]

Then I'm sorry for implying otherwise.....I too am glad we're taking some action on the North.

Two is a start at least!

[Wild Bill]

Two is a start at least!

Sadly Jerry, this may all be too little too late! Natural gas supplies in Canada and the USA are in a glut and are likely to be in a glut for decades. New technologies have enabled us to capture vast amounts of gas from shale deposits, cheaply!

It's almost certain that this is the reason all the parties involved in the Pipeline finally stopped arguing about how much each could squeeze out for themselves and hurriedly closed a deal. They're worried that the forecast for cheap shale gas may make it uncompetitive to bother spending the money on building a pipeline at all!

It's just sooo Canadian!

Edited January 1, 2010 by Wild Bill

[Topaz]

Someone tell me, is this the same one that hooks up with the Alaskan pipeline that Palin signed? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska_gas_pipeline

[Jerry J. Fortin]

Sadly Jerry, this may all be too little too late! Natural gas supplies in Canada and the USA are in a glut and are likely to be in a glut for decades. New technologies have enabled us to capture vast amounts of gas from shale deposits, cheaply!

It's almost certain that this is the reason all the parties involved in the Pipeline finally stopped arguing about how much each could squeeze out for themselves and hurriedly closed a deal. They're worried that the forecast for cheap shale gas may make it uncompetitive to bother spending the money on building a pipeline at all!

It's just sooo Canadian!

You need to look at this from a different point of view. If coal plants were either banned or made financially less attractive, the switch to gas would increase demand. Another way to increase demand is to convert cars to natural gas, you could do that as well.

[Wild Bill]

You need to look at this from a different point of view. If coal plants were either banned or made financially less attractive, the switch to gas would increase demand. Another way to increase demand is to convert cars to natural gas, you could do that as well.

Jerry, do you realize just how MUCH shale gas we're talking here?

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/epa-concerned-about-ny-shale-gas-drilling-2010-01-01?reflink=MW_news_stmp

"Geologists estimate that the entire Marcellus Shale formation contains between 168 trillion to 516 trillion cubic feet of natural gas," the agency's Website says. As context, the agency says that New York State uses about 1.1 trillion cubic feet of natural gas a year."

That's ONLY New York State! For 168-516 years!

http://www.api.org/policy/exploration/hydraulicfracturing/shale_gas.cfm

This link is more general about North America.

We'll need one helluva increased demand before prices firm up!

[Jerry J. Fortin]

How much does the oil sands use in Fort Mac? How much could be used by greenhouse operations for fruit and vegetable production in Canada? How much could be used by converted cars, truck, trains and planes, with the simple act of legislation banning coal from power generation?

[August1991]

Jerry, do you realize just how MUCH shale gas we're talking here?

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/epa-concerned-about-ny-shale-gas-drilling-2010-01-01?reflink=MW_news_stmp

"Geologists estimate that the entire Marcellus Shale formation contains between 168 trillion to 516 trillion cubic feet of natural gas," the agency's Website says. As context, the agency says that New York State uses about 1.1 trillion cubic feet of natural gas a year."

That's ONLY New York State! For 168-516 years!

http://www.api.org/policy/exploration/hydraulicfracturing/shale_gas.cfm

This link is more general about North America.

We'll need one helluva increased demand before prices firm up!

WB, I have to agree that this is the sleeper story of the past decade. While everyone else is talking about Copenhagen and whatnot, the shale gas discoveries have continued apace. There are known deposits up and down the St. Lawrence valley, along the Adirondacks and in Saskatchewan and the Dakotas. The reserves are immense and the technology exists now to exploit them.

There is at least one apparent problem. Current extraction technology requires immense quantities of fresh water.

[eyeball]

There is at least one apparent problem. Current extraction technology requires immense quantities of fresh water.

How much is immense, compared to a trillion cubic feet?

[Jerry J. Fortin]

It uses more water than the oil sands do.

[charter.rights]

The McKenzie Valley pipeline is a long way off yet and the government still has to deal with the Lubicon Cree first. Given the government takes a long time to get into lands claims negotiations, it isn't likely the pipelilne would be constructed before 2035-40...if it is allowed at all....

[August1991]

How much is immense, compared to a trillion cubic feet?

It depends how we define "immense". North America has immense access to fresh water so that is not the problem.

IMV, there are two problems (one technical, the other political). First, how do we treat the effluent from extracting the gas from shale? It's not toxic but it will disturb the environment. Second, once the green-left-NIMBY types understand what is going on with this, they will instinctively want to stop it.

Unlike fusion nuclear energy, superconductors and no-loss electrical batteries, shale gas extraction is a functioning technology that can be improved. As Wild Bill notes, the current low price of natural gas (in North America, relative to crude oil) is partly due to shale gas discoveries.

Sorry for the thread drift.

[bill_barilko]

In terms of northern development I remember reading about the proposed road from Manitoba to Nunavut I wonder if we'll see it in our lifetimes?

[Jerry J. Fortin]

In terms of northern development I remember reading about the proposed road from Manitoba to Nunavut I wonder if we'll see it in our lifetimes?

One can only hope. That would be a worthwhile investment in infrastructure.

[blueblood]

One can only hope. That would be a worthwhile investment in infrastructure.

You do know that there would have to be easily exploitable resources on the scale of the tar sands to make that road pay right. Trucking to Hudson Bay isn't going to foot the bill.

[Jerry J. Fortin]

You do know that there would have to be easily exploitable resources on the scale of the tar sands to make that road pay right. Trucking to Hudson Bay isn't going to foot the bill.

The north is a literal treasure trove of resources.