What happened
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced $1.2 billion in federal funding for marine protection. The funding will support various measures, including increased monitoring of marine traffic, creation of a national near-shore weather forecasting system, and a marine mammal oil spill response plan.
The announcement comes as Ottawa prepares to make decisions on a proposed pipeline and port expansion in Metro Vancouver, which are expected to increase marine traffic and put additional pressure on ocean habitats. Carney stated that the increased traffic will require scaled-up protection systems for marine life.
In addition to the marine protection funding, Carney also praised the announcement of a final investment decision for the Phase Two expansion of the LNG Canada facility in northern B.C. The expansion will double the facility's capacity and is expected to attract roughly $33 billion in private-sector capital.
Carney's announcement was welcomed by some, but Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre argued that the project was delayed by Liberal policies and that the U.S. and Germany have built similar facilities more quickly.
