Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Ontario Premier Doug Ford are proposing a new oil pipeline that would stretch from Western to Central Canada — a concept that parallels the cancelled Energy East project. The 500,000 barrel a day pipeline project would connect crude oil production in the prairies with domestic refineries in Ontario. “Pipelines have gone from impossible to a national imperative. The Alberta oilsands have gone from a target to a national treasure, and we’re launching the greatest expansion of oil and gas infrastructure and production in decades,” said Smith. The 3,300 kilometre proposed pathway, called the Northern Shield energy corridor, would stretch from Hardisty, Alta. to Sarnia, Ont. It would run through nearby Regina, Winnipeg and around the Great Lakes near Toronto. The proposal has some similarities with Energy East, a project proposed by TransCanada Corp., now TC Energy Corp. The $15.7-billion pipeline would have run from Alberta to Irving Oil Ltd.’s refinery in Saint John, N.B. But TransCanada cancelled the project after facing a series of setbacks, including opposition in Quebec and a regulatory decision to consider the project’s upstream and downstream emissions. “The Northern Shield energy corridor would move an estimated half a million barrels of oil per day, with the ability to expand to 800,000 barrels per day, bringing new capacity to Ontario refineries and delivering critical redundancy for existing pipelines, while creating good paying jobs for Canadian workers,” Ford said. Ontario is conducting a cost estimate that will be ready by the end of the year, said Ford. “Look at how Canada’s public opinion has changed. It’s done a 180 on energy,” said Smith. Varcoe: 'Investments are riding on this' — great expectations as Alberta pursues West Coast pipeline proposalCarney-Smith pipeline deal puts West Coast exports back on the table More to come… nyking@postmedia.com