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It is a tantalizing vision – a trans-national corridor that would transport oil, gas, hydro and telecoms to export markets. “There will be those who say it can’t be done, that it is too ambitious,” Scheer said. “Canada is a country of ‘no’ under Justin Trudeau…But we need to move from ‘no’ to ‘yes’ and become a country where big things are possible.”

The problem is that it has been a good idea since the 1960s and nobody has been able to make it happen

The problem is that it has been a good idea since the 1960s and nobody has been able to make it happen. Arguably, it has become even more difficult in an era where the courts have handed Indigenous opponents of development an effective veto.

Scheer campaigned in the Edmonton Centre riding with Alberta Premier, Jason Kenney, later in the day. Kenney is an enthusiastic proponent of the idea and pointed out that a Council of the Federation meeting of last summer, 12 out of 13 premiers signed on to the concept. The only hold-out was Quebec’s Francois Legault, and even he agreed to the idea when it came to natural gas and hydro (which he wants to export). “Regarding oil there’s no social acceptability in Quebec,” he said.

There is a rare moment of consensus among provinces, most of which are conservative in their orientation. If Scheer were to become prime minister, it would give a boost to the belief that Canada is still capable of big things.

But this is a project that will take decades – Scheer said he hopes to have a blue ribbon panel report back on a possible route within his first mandate.

Whichever route is chosen will mean the expropriation of large amounts of land at huge public expense – a move that will face determined opposition from farmers, ranchers and other landowners.