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He said he was “feeling very good about our capacity … to get our resources to market in a responsible and environmentally sustainable way.”

“I’m very much in the camp of both premiers Wynne and Notley, who demonstrated that Canada can and should work together on eco-ssues for all of us. That’s the focus that I’ve always taken — collaborating, respectful, working together to solve the challenges that are facing all Canadians,” Trudeau told reporters.

The words of support came after Notley faced tough criticism from the provincial Opposition over her pipeline strategy. Wildrose Leader Brian Jean said Montreal’s rejection showed that the NDP plans to gain social licence for pipelines through tougher environmental policies had failed.

The NDP climate plan released last fall calls for the implementation of a broad-based carbon tax in 2017, an oilsand emissions cap, the accelerated phase-out of coal and a sharp reduction in methane emissions.

Wynne said Alberta’s effort “makes the national conversation about climate targets and pipelines easier” and that Ontario recognized the need to get Alberta oil to overseas markets.

“The people of Ontario care a great deal about the national economy and the potential jobs that this proposed pipeline project could create in our province and across the country,” said Wynne.

Energy East would take Alberta crude as far as an Irving Oil refinery in Saint John, N.B., and would be capable of carrying up to 1.1 million barrels a day from the West to the East.