Truce declared as Alberta lifts ban on BC wine
A truce has been called in the row between British Columbia and Alberta after the latter suspended its ban on BC wine, in the ongoing dispute of the Trans Mouitain pipeline.
Alberta premier Rachel Notley lifted the ban after BC premier John Horgan said his government would not proceed with proposed regulatory restrictions on additional shipments of diluted bitumen through BC.
“I think it is fair to say that in a small way today B.C. blinked,” Notley told reporters at the legislature in Edmonton. "B.C. is stepping back from the brink and abiding by the law, and this is a good thing.”
Horgan denied B.C. is backing down, saying the intention is for cooler heads to prevail. “This is not about politics. This is not about trade,” he said. “It’s about the right for B.C. to be heard.” He added his government is filing a constitutional reference case on the issue, which has been at the centre of the trade battle between B.C. and Alberta.
“We believe it is our right to take appropriate measures to protect the interests of B.C. from the drastic consequence of a diluted bitumen spill,” Horgan said at a news conference.