While 2024 marks the most important milestone for the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project (TMX) – namely, its completion – it also marks the fifth anniversary of the beginning of a significant legal battle between the governments of B.C. and Alberta.

It might seem like that battle had a winner and a loser, especially since the two provinces were on opposite sides of the TMX debate. However, as an important new study shows us, this battle should have been a non-zero-sum game – in other words, a win-win.

The tremendous tumult triggered by the tactic of “turning off the taps” stands in stark contrast to the quiet détente that now prevails five years later. B.C’s subdued ambivalence to TMX’s completion would surely come as a shock to a time-traveller from 2019’s political maelstrom.

Shortly after becoming premier, Jason Kenney officially proclaimed Alberta’s “turn off the taps” legislation (the previous NDP government originally passed the law). The intent was to restrict or halt energy shipments to B.C. if efforts to obstruct TMX persisted. In response, B.C. announced its intention to challenge the constitutionality of Alberta’s law.

In the end, Alberta never did “turn off the taps” and B.C. ended up on the losing end of the court challenge (similar to........

© Calgary Herald