N.B. Premier David Alward addresses Alberta legislature

New Brunswick Premier David Alward told the Alberta legislature on Thursday that the proposed pipeline from Alberta to refineries in eastern Canada could bring jobs to the entire country, as well as his own province.

Alward told MLAs that about 15,000 people from New Brunswick work outside the province in the natural resource sector, including his own son.

"My youngest son Ben is 23. He's a Red Seal plumber and a last block pipefitter who works in Kearl Lake, Alward said.

And as I was flying here today, Ben was flying home for a week."

The proposed $12 billion, $4,500 kilometre TransCanada pipeline could take Alberta crude oil from Edmonton to refineries in Quebec and Saint John, N.B.

Alward and Alberta Premier Alison Redford are trying to convince other provinces that the project could benefit them as well.

Canadians want to work and need to work, Alward said. Canadians want to built prosperity and economic opportunity no matter what region they live [in].

Projects like the Energy East pipeline will translate into thousands of jobs in communities across Canada.

"I think it is an important conversation for provinces right across the country to have, Redford said.

But my sense is that it's going in the right direction and that people are understanding, as you said, that the dots all connect at some point.

Alward is the first sitting premier from another province to address the Alberta legislature. Alward and Redford will both be attending the Bennett Jones Lake Louise World Cup Business Forum.