Premiers, Governors Push East Coast Development

The premiers of Canada’s eastern provinces and the governors of America’s New England states urged development of Canada’s offshore oil and gas fields and construction of a pipeline from Nova Scotia to New England.

Newfoundland premier Brian Peckford, speaking to the annual conference of New England and eastern Canadian leaders, said development would prevent a repetition of the energy crisis of the early 1970s.

The group also agreed to discuss energy and security of supply next spring.

Drilling off Canada’s Atlantic coast has stalled since world oil prices began tumbling two years ago. The resolution supporting a natural gas pipeline from Nova Scotia to New England has been on the agenda for six years, and this is the sixth year it has been approved.

The two-day conference ends tomorrow.