If you live in Saint John, you know the Irving refinery anchors the local economy. Now, Ontario Premier Doug Ford wants the facility to stop importing foreign crude oil. Speaking at a panel in Ottawa, Ford pushed for new energy infrastructure to move Canadian oil from coast to coast.
Pushing for Canadian Sovereignty
Ford made his comments during a Canadian Chamber of Commerce summit. According to a report from the Toronto Sun, the premier cited concerns about national sovereignty. He claimed the imported oil comes from people who do not like Canada.
Ford stressed the need for cooperation to build major infrastructure focused on Canadian needs. He specifically highlighted pipelines running east to west.
“It is absolutely critical we build that pipeline east to west corridor,” Ford said. “We have to be just dependent on Canada. We have to get out to Irving. They are bringing in hundreds of millions of barrels of oil and from some people that do not like us.”
Pipelines as the Solution
The premier described building more pipelines as a clear choice. He questioned why eastern facilities cannot simply get their oil from Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Ford argued that a pipeline across the country to the Irving refinery or down to Sarnia in Ontario solves multiple problems. It removes the threat of American interference. He specifically mentioned Enbridge Line 5. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has targeted that pipeline for shutdown. Line 5 carries more than half a million barrels of oil and natural gas a day from western Canada to Ontario through United States territory.
Current Import Reality in Saint John
Canada ranks as the fourth largest oil producer globally and holds the fourth largest oil reserves. Yet, the country imports around half a million barrels of crude oil every day. More than half of that volume goes directly to the Irving refinery in Saint John.
In 2024, Canada sourced its foreign oil primarily from the United States, Nigeria, and Saudi Arabia. Recently, Irving turned to Newfoundland for crude. Geopolitical conflicts and blockades in the Middle East cut off other supplies.
Former Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney also supports developing Canadian oil resources for geopolitical reasons. Carney noted that Atlantic Canada and the Far North offer conventional energy opportunities tied to national defense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Doug Ford want Irving Oil to stop importing foreign oil?
Doug Ford believes Canada must rely on its own energy resources to protect national sovereignty. He stated that some foreign oil comes from countries that do not have favorable views of Canada.
Where does the Irving refinery currently get its foreign oil?
In 2024, the top sources of foreign oil for Canada included the United States, Nigeria, and Saudi Arabia. The Irving refinery processes more than half of all crude oil imported into Canada.
What alternative does Doug Ford propose?
Ford proposes building an east to west pipeline corridor. This infrastructure transports crude oil directly from Alberta and Saskatchewan to eastern refineries like the one in Saint John.
again a “call” for an west -east pipeline, the concept has merit and is justifiable solely on ensuring Canada has control of all pipelines carrying Canadian oil on Canadian soil. the Irving oil refinery processes up to 300 million barrels a day, which seems like a lot until the source of the oil and the final customers are identified. Atlantic Canada uses 20 % of the oil, the remainder (80%) is sold to the USA as finished product. The source of the oil Is from United states ( some of that could be Canadian crude piped to Texas). The cost of transporting a barrel of oil by tanker is $1>50 to .300. compared to 5 to 7 dollars a barrel transported by oil. It is quite evident that Americans accept Irving oil refined products mainly because it is their oil to begin with, we are just refining it, the other sources of oil are UAE which are an oil ally of the USA as well, Should Canada, build a pipe line to the east coast, we would no longer be an importer from the US or UAE, or Nigeria. The assumption is that Western crude would be piped to Irving and American North east would continue to buy , now Canadian crude, refined products from Irving in the same quantity they now buy American/UAE crude based finished products. If not , the Irving refinery would lose 80 % of their market and only have 20% ( 60,000 barrels a day) being sold to Atlantic Canada. Of course an argument can be made that Irving Refinery could sell to EU providing the USA didn’t sanction our oil because we stopped importing from USA. The pipeline being talked about West-East should also be rerouted to go north of Lake Superior to avoid passing through USA territory. The messaging on building the pipe line to Irving oil Saint John NB gets lots of enthusiastic support, without seriously asking Ontario and Quebec why they wouldn’t want the pipeline to just stop in their provinces, with the goal of the development of a refinery that they would control and gain all economic benefits from. Oil Tankers can easily reach St Lawrence port terminals, for transporting finished oil products for export. Canada needs to stay focused on what we can do to market crude oil/refined oil, in the most efficient manner possible, we can market west to Asia, we can go to Churchill for markets to our east, Atlantic Canada may not be our best choice with out l new sustainable markets in the EU ?