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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau maintained his support of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion Friday during a heated town hall in British Columbia, reiterating his stance that the project is in Canada’s national interest.

“We had to make tough decisions,” Trudeau told a crowd in Nanaimo, B.C., after three hecklers were removed by authorities. “We will be moving forward with the Kinder Morgan pipeline.”

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Meanwhile in Edmonton, Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said she hopes the latest delay to the $7.4-billion project won’t end in an all-out trade war with B.C.

“B.C. started this fight, now the gloves are off,” she said in an interview Friday. “We are prepared to do whatever it takes.”

The B.C. NDP government said Tuesday it will place restrictions on bitumen shipment increases from Alberta to conduct more spill response studies.

Notley said the move is unconstitutional and illegal — and argued it’s a federal issue. B.C. Premier John Horgan defended the decision and said he was surprised by Alberta’s reaction.

On Thursday, Notley announced a retaliatory measure, suspending talks to purchase electricity from B.C.

She also called on Trudeau to be more definitive.

“He needs to see this action for what it is, that is B.C. taking a shot across the federal bow, not Alberta,” Notley said Friday. “On this particular matter, they need to speak to it directly and make it very clear the B.C. government does not have the authority.”

Heated town hall

Trudeau continued to field questions on the pipeline expansion after arriving Thursday in Edmonton ahead of a town hall at MacEwan University.

He reiterated his support for the project, which he said is in Canada’s national interest.

But in B.C. on Friday, Trudeau’s town hall crowd was more hostile. Attendees were vocal about their disappointment in the Kinder Morgan pipeline, brandishing signs including “Climate leaders don’t build pipelines,” and repeatedly shouting over Trudeau.