VANCOUVER — Alberta's premier says all Canadians will "feel the pain" if proposed oil pipelines out of his province are not built.
Premier Jim Prentice says Canada's economic future rests in energy development and megaprojects, such as pipelines out of Alberta and liquefied natural gas terminals in B.C., are key to that future.
Prentice told a group at the Vancouver Board of Trade that without that development the country won't have the revenues to pay for valuable public services, leaving the future for Canadians hanging in the balance.
The premier listed the Northern Gateway, Trans Mountain, Keystone XL and Energy East pipelines as nation-building infrastructure, and he called for national co-operation to ensure they are built.
The Premiers of B.C., Ontario and Quebec have all imposed criteria for their support of any new pipeline.
Prentice is in Vancouver at the start of a week that will also see him visit Quebec and Ontario.