Trump approves $22-billion railway between Alaska and Alberta

[Anonymous]

President Donald J. Trump is the best prime minister Canada has ever had.

Approved by Trump



WASHINGTON, D.C.  September 26, 2020 (LSN)  Donald Trump,  U.S. President has issued an executive permit allowing a $22-billion international railway to be built between Alaska and Alberta. Kenora, Thunder Bay, Sault Ste Marie, Sudbury, North Bay, Ontario.



U.S. President Donald Trump has issued an executive permit allowing a $22-billion international railway to be built between Alaska and Alberta.



"Based on the strong recommendation of @SenDanSullivan and @repdonyoung of the Great State of Alaska, it is my honor to inform you that I will be issuing a Presidential Permit for the A2A Cross-Border Rail between Alaska & Canada. Congratulations to the people of Alaska & Canada!" the president tweeted Friday.



A2A Rail vice chair Mead Treadwell said the so-called A2A Railway will succeed where others have failed, because markets are hungry for resources that Canada produces, but can't export quickly enough to meet demand.



The company will start by constructing rail from North Pole, near Fairbanks, where the Alaska Railroad ends today. From there the railway will move south and east through Alaska, across into Yukon, the Northwest Territories, and into Alberta.



"It is approximately 1,600 miles, with roughly 200 miles of new track in Alaska, and the remaining 1,400 miles in western and northern Canada. We estimate our investment to be $15 billion CAD in Canada and another $7 billion CAD in Alaska," said the company's website.



"The port capacity and sometimes the rail capacity at other places in Canada are just so choked that there's a potential market for a new port and a new method to get to Asian markets," Treadwell said in an interview in August with KUAC.



"The Alaska Railroad right now runs 512 miles from Seward to North Pole we're going to take that track and extend it 1500 miles to connect up with rail lines in Alberta," Treadwell said.



Treadwell said the the system will transport bitumen, potash, sulfur and grains.



"We believe we have a project which is competitive with pipeline and one of the reasons why it's competitive is because its risks can spread over several different commodities," he said.



Treadwell says if all goes according to plan, work on the project would begin within three years and be completed in six.



The company said it will now begin an "extensive environmental impact assessment" (EIA) under Canadian legislation for the Yukon, B.C. and Alberta.



Company founder Sean McCoshen has already spent over $100 million USD through the pre-feasibility, feasibility, and detailed engineering phases of the project.



A2A Rail has also started talks with Indigenous groups along the proposed path.



"The proposed route for the A2A Rail project includes portions of traditional, treaty and heritage lands of Indigenous Peoples in Canada and the United States. A2A Rail has initiated dialogue with Indigenous Peoples along the proposed route to brief them on the project," said the company.

https://www.westernstandardonline.com/2020/09/trump-approves-22-billion-railway-between-alaska-and-alberta/">https://www.westernstandardonline.com/2 ... d-alberta/">https://www.westernstandardonline.com/2020/09/trump-approves-22-billion-railway-between-alaska-and-alberta/

[Anonymous]

[media]https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1309708250124873728">https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/sta ... 0124873728">https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1309708250124873728[/media]

[Anonymous]

https://i1.wp.com/a2arail.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/New-A2A-03052020.jpg?resize=1536%2C1191&ssl=1">

[Anonymous]

President Donald J. Trump is the best prime minister Canada has ever had.

Approved by Trump



WASHINGTON, D.C.  September 26, 2020 (LSN)  Donald Trump,  U.S. President has issued an executive permit allowing a $22-billion international railway to be built between Alaska and Alberta. Kenora, Thunder Bay, Sault Ste Marie, Sudbury, North Bay, Ontario.



U.S. President Donald Trump has issued an executive permit allowing a $22-billion international railway to be built between Alaska and Alberta.



"Based on the strong recommendation of @SenDanSullivan and @repdonyoung of the Great State of Alaska, it is my honor to inform you that I will be issuing a Presidential Permit for the A2A Cross-Border Rail between Alaska & Canada. Congratulations to the people of Alaska & Canada!" the president tweeted Friday.



A2A Rail vice chair Mead Treadwell said the so-called A2A Railway will succeed where others have failed, because markets are hungry for resources that Canada produces, but can't export quickly enough to meet demand.



The company will start by constructing rail from North Pole, near Fairbanks, where the Alaska Railroad ends today. From there the railway will move south and east through Alaska, across into Yukon, the Northwest Territories, and into Alberta.



"It is approximately 1,600 miles, with roughly 200 miles of new track in Alaska, and the remaining 1,400 miles in western and northern Canada. We estimate our investment to be $15 billion CAD in Canada and another $7 billion CAD in Alaska," said the company's website.



"The port capacity and sometimes the rail capacity at other places in Canada are just so choked that there's a potential market for a new port and a new method to get to Asian markets," Treadwell said in an interview in August with KUAC.



"The Alaska Railroad right now runs 512 miles from Seward to North Pole we're going to take that track and extend it 1500 miles to connect up with rail lines in Alberta," Treadwell said.



Treadwell said the the system will transport bitumen, potash, sulfur and grains.



"We believe we have a project which is competitive with pipeline and one of the reasons why it's competitive is because its risks can spread over several different commodities," he said.



Treadwell says if all goes according to plan, work on the project would begin within three years and be completed in six.



The company said it will now begin an "extensive environmental impact assessment" (EIA) under Canadian legislation for the Yukon, B.C. and Alberta.



Company founder Sean McCoshen has already spent over $100 million USD through the pre-feasibility, feasibility, and detailed engineering phases of the project.



A2A Rail has also started talks with Indigenous groups along the proposed path.



"The proposed route for the A2A Rail project includes portions of traditional, treaty and heritage lands of Indigenous Peoples in Canada and the United States. A2A Rail has initiated dialogue with Indigenous Peoples along the proposed route to brief them on the project," said the company.

https://www.westernstandardonline.com/2020/09/trump-approves-22-billion-railway-between-alaska-and-alberta/">https://www.westernstandardonline.com/2 ... d-alberta/">https://www.westernstandardonline.com/2020/09/trump-approves-22-billion-railway-between-alaska-and-alberta/

This is terrific news for Western Canada..



Our own federal government has given us no reason for hope.

[Anonymous]

President Donald J. Trump is the best prime minister Canada has ever had.

Approved by Trump



WASHINGTON, D.C.  September 26, 2020 (LSN)  Donald Trump,  U.S. President has issued an executive permit allowing a $22-billion international railway to be built between Alaska and Alberta. Kenora, Thunder Bay, Sault Ste Marie, Sudbury, North Bay, Ontario.



U.S. President Donald Trump has issued an executive permit allowing a $22-billion international railway to be built between Alaska and Alberta.



"Based on the strong recommendation of @SenDanSullivan and @repdonyoung of the Great State of Alaska, it is my honor to inform you that I will be issuing a Presidential Permit for the A2A Cross-Border Rail between Alaska & Canada. Congratulations to the people of Alaska & Canada!" the president tweeted Friday.



A2A Rail vice chair Mead Treadwell said the so-called A2A Railway will succeed where others have failed, because markets are hungry for resources that Canada produces, but can't export quickly enough to meet demand.



The company will start by constructing rail from North Pole, near Fairbanks, where the Alaska Railroad ends today. From there the railway will move south and east through Alaska, across into Yukon, the Northwest Territories, and into Alberta.



"It is approximately 1,600 miles, with roughly 200 miles of new track in Alaska, and the remaining 1,400 miles in western and northern Canada. We estimate our investment to be $15 billion CAD in Canada and another $7 billion CAD in Alaska," said the company's website.



"The port capacity and sometimes the rail capacity at other places in Canada are just so choked that there's a potential market for a new port and a new method to get to Asian markets," Treadwell said in an interview in August with KUAC.



"The Alaska Railroad right now runs 512 miles from Seward to North Pole we're going to take that track and extend it 1500 miles to connect up with rail lines in Alberta," Treadwell said.



Treadwell said the the system will transport bitumen, potash, sulfur and grains.



"We believe we have a project which is competitive with pipeline and one of the reasons why it's competitive is because its risks can spread over several different commodities," he said.



Treadwell says if all goes according to plan, work on the project would begin within three years and be completed in six.



The company said it will now begin an "extensive environmental impact assessment" (EIA) under Canadian legislation for the Yukon, B.C. and Alberta.



Company founder Sean McCoshen has already spent over $100 million USD through the pre-feasibility, feasibility, and detailed engineering phases of the project.



A2A Rail has also started talks with Indigenous groups along the proposed path.



"The proposed route for the A2A Rail project includes portions of traditional, treaty and heritage lands of Indigenous Peoples in Canada and the United States. A2A Rail has initiated dialogue with Indigenous Peoples along the proposed route to brief them on the project," said the company.

https://www.westernstandardonline.com/2020/09/trump-approves-22-billion-railway-between-alaska-and-alberta/">https://www.westernstandardonline.com/2 ... d-alberta/">https://www.westernstandardonline.com/2020/09/trump-approves-22-billion-railway-between-alaska-and-alberta/

I am not going to get too excited. I can see Biden pander to his anti-development base and rescind Trump's executive permit. But, if it is built, FANTASTIC for Canada.

[cc]

President Donald J. Trump is the best prime minister Canada has ever had.

He'll make Canada great again....  MCGA !!  ac_smile

[Anonymous]

President Donald J. Trump is the best prime minister Canada has ever had.

Approved by Trump



WASHINGTON, D.C.  September 26, 2020 (LSN)  Donald Trump,  U.S. President has issued an executive permit allowing a $22-billion international railway to be built between Alaska and Alberta. Kenora, Thunder Bay, Sault Ste Marie, Sudbury, North Bay, Ontario.



U.S. President Donald Trump has issued an executive permit allowing a $22-billion international railway to be built between Alaska and Alberta.



"Based on the strong recommendation of @SenDanSullivan and @repdonyoung of the Great State of Alaska, it is my honor to inform you that I will be issuing a Presidential Permit for the A2A Cross-Border Rail between Alaska & Canada. Congratulations to the people of Alaska & Canada!" the president tweeted Friday.



A2A Rail vice chair Mead Treadwell said the so-called A2A Railway will succeed where others have failed, because markets are hungry for resources that Canada produces, but can't export quickly enough to meet demand.



The company will start by constructing rail from North Pole, near Fairbanks, where the Alaska Railroad ends today. From there the railway will move south and east through Alaska, across into Yukon, the Northwest Territories, and into Alberta.



"It is approximately 1,600 miles, with roughly 200 miles of new track in Alaska, and the remaining 1,400 miles in western and northern Canada. We estimate our investment to be $15 billion CAD in Canada and another $7 billion CAD in Alaska," said the company's website.



"The port capacity and sometimes the rail capacity at other places in Canada are just so choked that there's a potential market for a new port and a new method to get to Asian markets," Treadwell said in an interview in August with KUAC.



"The Alaska Railroad right now runs 512 miles from Seward to North Pole we're going to take that track and extend it 1500 miles to connect up with rail lines in Alberta," Treadwell said.



Treadwell said the the system will transport bitumen, potash, sulfur and grains.



"We believe we have a project which is competitive with pipeline and one of the reasons why it's competitive is because its risks can spread over several different commodities," he said.



Treadwell says if all goes according to plan, work on the project would begin within three years and be completed in six.



The company said it will now begin an "extensive environmental impact assessment" (EIA) under Canadian legislation for the Yukon, B.C. and Alberta.



Company founder Sean McCoshen has already spent over $100 million USD through the pre-feasibility, feasibility, and detailed engineering phases of the project.



A2A Rail has also started talks with Indigenous groups along the proposed path.



"The proposed route for the A2A Rail project includes portions of traditional, treaty and heritage lands of Indigenous Peoples in Canada and the United States. A2A Rail has initiated dialogue with Indigenous Peoples along the proposed route to brief them on the project," said the company.

https://www.westernstandardonline.com/2020/09/trump-approves-22-billion-railway-between-alaska-and-alberta/">https://www.westernstandardonline.com/2 ... d-alberta/">https://www.westernstandardonline.com/2020/09/trump-approves-22-billion-railway-between-alaska-and-alberta/

Damn. I aint heard anything about this before.

[Anonymous]

In my company, I had heard rumours about the rail line. But, I didn't have a lot of confidence in it. There was an Omnitrax proposal to move Alberta oil the port of Churchill in Northern Manitoba and then overseas, but the former provincial NDP government killed it.



Trump is a doer, and he was behind this. That is the big difference. I think this could be built and carry Canadian oil to international markets.

[Anonymous]

Oh, I hope this is built and gets our oil overseas to new markets..



Working families in Alberta need this.

[Anonymous]

A2A Rail has said that if built, the project will create more than 18,000 jobs for Canadian workers and bring in $60 billion to the country's GDP through 2040.

[Anonymous]

The next steps will include going through environmental impact assessments, and obtaining the correct regulatory approvals in both the U.S. and Canada. God speed A2A Rail. The nation needs this project approved, constructed and in operation.

[Anonymous]

It's far from a done deal. I expect the NDP supported Liberal government to be obstructionist if not outright say no to it. I expect the hard greens controlling Biden to do the same if he is victorious. If Ottawa and Washington do not stand in the way, raising capital will be easier.



Alberta cheers Trump's oil route OK



The unexpected permit brought the nascent project immediate attention, though it has been in the works since 2015 and has the backing of Alberta government.



"This is the first gate," said JP Gladu, president of the Alberta-to-Alaska Railway Development Corp., or A2A Rail. "The fact that this is signed now is a really great signal to us. It's a signal for both countries about the route."



But Gladu, who until earlier this year was the president of the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business, acknowledged the real work lies ahead, especially the regulatory process in Canada and the U.S. and raising financing.



Currently, A2A Rail is conducting aerial surveys of the proposed route and preparing a project description with engineering firm HDR Inc. before submitting the Fort McMurray-to-Anchorage rail line to federal regulators.



"Ports in southcentral Alaska are four days closer to Asia than any other port on North America's coast," according to a map on the company's website. "As a result, the A2A Railway will become a critical import/ export link in the Pacific."



There are still many details to finalize, including the exact path the new rail line would follow. Gladu said the company is looking at the feasibility of hydrogen-powered engines, which is an early-stage technology.



Raising capital is a challenge for many resource projects, but the company's ownership group, Winnipeg-based McCoshen Group, has raised enough money for the "front-end of the project" as the company prepares to begin the regulatory process,



Gladu said.



In the long-run, he said A2A Rail is setting aside a 49 per cent equity stake in the project for Indigenous communities along the route interested in partnering on the project.



Gladu said the Alberta government has supported the project enthusiastically as it's viewed as a new trade route for oilsands bitumen, which would help make the railway viable.



"The government of Alberta is glad to see the approval of the U.S. Presidential Permit for the A2A Rail project," said Kavi Bal, spokesperson for Alberta Energy Minister Sonya Savage. "We support the development of trade corridors that can unlock new markets for many of Alberta's products including oil and gas, new mineral production and agriculture."



Calgary-based A2A Rail hopes to break ground on the rail line in the middle of the decade and be in service before 2030 on the project, which would wind from Fort McMurray through the southern part of the Northwest Territories before turning northwest and cutting through Yukon and Alaska.

[Anonymous]

Man, we need this. Justine will block it. Maybe Jim Crow Joe too now that Trump lost the debate and the election.

[Anonymous]

Call me cynical, but see Biden rescinding the permit or Trudeau killing it like he does almost every large resource project in Canada.



Permit in hand, entrepreneur advances Alaska-Alberta railway



The team behind the proposed Alaska to Alberta railway aims to start prep work for construction in December, with a goal of getting the $17 billion cross-border railroad running by 2025.



Sean McCoshen, founder and chairman of the company behind the project, said he has spent $100 million on studies and engineering reports and now has private funds backing the Alaska to Alberta Railway Development Corp., or A2A Rail, to start construction. The railway will connect Fort McMurray, in the heart of Alberta's oilsands, with the Alaska Railroad southeast of Fairbanks.



"This project is extremely viable," McCoshen, 53, said in an interview that also included A2A Rail's finance and strategy head Robert Dove, who previously led the Carlyle Group's infrastructure fund. "It's a win-win for all concerned."



"This rail link will be the anchor tenant of a major northern development corridor," Calgary-based A2A said Tuesday in a statement after getting a presidential permit for the project, adding that it will serve to facilitate economic development, and provide service to rural households and other opportunities to communities in this isolated region.



The railway would create jobs and improve living standards throughout the area, and the project wouldn't solely be focused on shipping bitumen from Alberta's oil sands, according to McCoshen and Dove. A2A Rail plans to move general cargo, consumer goods and fuel into the geographically isolated region.



"You've got vast quantities of people living up north well below the poverty line," McCoshen said. "I'm shocked that this hasn't been done already."



U.S. President Donald Trump granted a presidential permit on Sept. 28, two days after tweeting that he planned to green-light the cross-border project.



 "We know we have tremendous support from all political parties in the United States" along with parties in Alaska, local governments in Alberta, Northwest Territories and Yukon, McCoshen said.



A2A Rail said it still needs environmental approvals in Canada and the U.S. as well as other permits and approvals from various government levels in both countries.



The project is estimated to provide an additional C$60 billion ($45 billion) in cumulative economic output through 2040, with the creation of more than 28,000 jobs, A2A said in the statement.

https://www.jwnenergy.com/article/2020/10/2/permit-in-hand-entrepreneur-advances-alaska-albert/">https://www.jwnenergy.com/article/2020/ ... ka-albert/">https://www.jwnenergy.com/article/2020/10/2/permit-in-hand-entrepreneur-advances-alaska-albert/

[Anonymous]

Trudeau is strongly hinting he will use Bill C-69 to stop Alberta to Alaska railway dead in it's tracks.



Trudeau 'hinting' he will block Alberta to Alaska rail another reason why west should separate



There was hope for Alberta with the proposed Alberta to Alaska (A2A) rail project but Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has hinted he will use the no more pipelines Bill C69 to stop the project dead in its tracks.



The $22 billion project would see a 2,570 kilometre rail line running from Anchorage, Alaska, though the Yukon and Northwest Territories and into northern Alberta. But Trudeau said the plan must undergo a rigorous environmental assessment under Bill C-69.



"Whether there is a potential for a project, before the proponent goes too far down the round and invests too much money in it, in something that is unlikely to pass," said Trudeau.



Last month U.S. President Donald Trump said he supported the project.



The project would generate thousands of jobs for Canadians if it were built, A2A said in a July media release.



"This is a world-class infrastructure project that will generate more than 18,000 jobs for Canadian workers at a time when they are most needed, provide a new, more efficient route for trans-Pacific shipping and thereby link Alberta to world markets," said A2A Rail Founder Sean McCoshen.

https://albertapressleader.ca/?p=27404">https://albertapressleader.ca/?p=27404