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The ground shifted under Canada this week. And yet, Alberta finds itself on firmer footing.

The premiers and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau agreed in Vancouver that the provinces will work toward a carbon price.

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The “mechanism” is up to individual provinces. The almost-declared target is likely to be $15 per tonne.

The Alberta NDP has already announced carbon prices ($20 per tonne in 2017, $30 in $2018). Such charges are always a strain on competitiveness.

The significant gain from the Vancouver conference is that all the other provinces, including Saskatchewan, are formally committed to costs of their own.

None of this will feel like such a fine thing when Albertans start paying the carbon tax in 2017. A tax is a tax, no matter how noble the goal.

But at least Alberta won’t lose quite as much competitive edge to our eastern neighbour, which is frankly rapacious for Alberta business under Premier Brad Wall.