Mayors of Calgary and Saint John reaffirm support for Energy East

The mayor of Saint John, N.B. joined the mayor of Calgary on Friday to reaffirm support for the proposed Energy East pipeline.

Mayor Don Darling and Mayor Naheed Nenshi spoke to reporters in Calgary on Friday.

The proposed 4,500-kilometre pipeline would transport crude oil from Alberta to a marine terminal in New Brunswick as well as refineries in Eastern Canada.

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TransCanada has suspended the application for 30 days after the National Energy Board said it would review the project's indirect greenhouse gas contributions.

Nenshi called the $15.7-billion Energy East project "critical to Canada's prosperity," and said pipelines are the safest way to transport oil.

"We need tough regulation, we need stringent regulation, but we also need regulation that makes decisions," said Nenshi. "That doesn't leave projects in limbo, that ensures everyone is playing on a level playing field and the rules don't change mid-game."

Darling says his city is confident Energy East will ensure the safety of the environment.

"If done right, this could be an opportunity to safely transport Canadian oil resources to where they are needed in Eastern Canada and around the globe. By doing this, we can reduce our dependency on foreign crude oil imports and provide more Canadians with a home-grown, reliable energy supply to power their homes and communities."

Darling said the project could mean 3,500 full-time jobs in New Brunswick.

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