Ontario, Alberta partner to build out freight rail infrastructure

Ontario and Alberta officials on Monday announced a partnership through which they'll build new pipelines, rail lines and other energy and trade infrastructure to unlock new markets for Canada's minerals, oil and gas.

New rail lines will connect Ontario's "Ring of Fire" mineral-dense region to processing facilities and western Canadian ports, Ontario government officials said in a press release issued July 7. The two provinces will also build new pipelines to connect western Canadian oil and gas to refineries and a new James Bay deep-sea port in northern Ontario.

Ontario and Alberta will soon launch a joint feasibility study to determine optimal routes for the rail lines and pipelines. As part of the agreement, the provinces' officials also agreed to advocate for private sector investments in energy and trade infrastructure projects, including the development of nuclear energy, and to prioritize utilizing Canada-made vehicles and Alberta-made alcohol rather than importing the products. 

These agreements build on a memorandum of understanding signed June 1 between Ontario and Alberta that called for eliminating trade barriers between the two provinces. Since April, Ontario has signed free trade agreements with six other provinces.