Representatives from the Mission Regional Chamber of Commerce were on board last week for the historical Federation Flight to take the message of building trust and sustaining confidence in Canada to the Alberta government and business leaders.
One hundred senior B.C. business, Indigenous, community, and labour leaders were aboard the flight to Edmonton aimed at reinforcing the fundamental partnership that is the Canadian federation.
This journey, called the Federation Flight, and the people on board, want to help bridge the threatening rift between the governments of B.C. and Alberta over the Trans Mountain Expansion Project.
“For the Mission Chamber, this was not just about a pipeline for us, this was about standing up for our business community and the erosion of our confidence on the global stage,” said chamber executive director Kristin Parsons. “We had an opportunity to share our message with business leaders and government officials from Alberta to show that we are concerned about the deterioration of the trust and confidence in our country.”
The Federation Flight is a continuation of the Confidence in Canada coalition’s efforts and supports a positive relationship among all provinces of Canada, with the Trans Mountain Expansion Project as its catalyst.
“This one-day trip to Alberta is a chance to reinforce the current importance of this country’s energy and resource sectors for the benefit of all Canadians. At its best, our federation improves our provincial economies, the economy of Canada, our international competitiveness, and our reputation as a great place to do business, in a country governed by the rule of law,” said Iain Black, president and CEO of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade.
“It has been very frustrating to sit on the sidelines witnessing what looks like partisan politics over good governance and leadership in the public interest. This is why I was excited to be asked to join this Federation Flight,” said David Sawatzky, past president of the chamber.
“The level of investment uncertainty which is created by these political squabbles has not been seen since the last Quebec sovereignty referendum. Our goal today was to demonstrate that there is a true desire by key business and community stakeholders to end these disputes and bring back investment certainty.”