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| Backgrounder(s) & FactSheet(s): | Backgrounder |
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| Backgrounder(s) & FactSheet(s): | Backgrounder |
EDMONTON – Alberta and British
Columbia have signed a groundbreaking agreement to eliminate barriers to trade,
investment and labour mobility between the two provinces. The agreement creates
the second largest economic region in Canada.
The two provinces signed the Alberta-British Columbia Trade, Investment, and Labour Mobility Agreement (TILMA) at the 4th annual joint Alberta-British Columbia Cabinet meeting in Edmonton on April 28. The agreement will give businesses and workers in both provinces seamless access to a larger range of opportunities across all sectors including energy, transportation, labour mobility, business registration, and government procurement. The agreement will:
“This continues a process that began in 2003 when Premier Campbell and I, along with our Cabinets, first met in Calgary,” said Alberta Premier Ralph Klein. “Together, we created a combined Alberta-B.C. market of more than 7.5 million people. Our larger economy and freer trade environment will build prosperity for both our provinces and give us a stronger economic voice as we attract investment and entrepreneurs, and offer a larger range of choices for consumers and for workers. Our provinces have set a new standard for what interprovincial trade can and should look like.”
“We have created a powerful new economic partnership that is the product of unprecedented inter-provincial co-operation and commitment to freer trade within Canada,” said B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell. “This open inter-provincial economy will liberate opportunities in trade, investment, employment and job creation in both provinces and it creates a platform for both provinces to take advantage of Asia-Pacific opportunities. We have two of the strongest, most dynamic economies in all of Canada and this agreement will make B.C. and Alberta even stronger.”
The agreement commences April 1, 2007 and will include a transition period to April 2009 before the agreement comes into full effect to give both governments time to bring their measures into conformity. Provinces also will negotiate to extend the agreement to include identified areas such as financial services, municipal governments and Crown Corporations.
In addition to the agreement, Alberta and
B.C. signed four other Memorandums of Understanding covering:
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Charter buses – allowing operators to have the same
access to both provincial markets;
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Energy research, technology development and
innovation – creating mechanisms to share information and participate in
joint projects and programs.
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Post-secondary education – supporting
co-operation in research and information sharing, and developing common
approaches to improve quality and access.
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Inter-provincial parks between Alberta and
B.C. – allowing cooperation to protect, plan and manage parks that share the
border, and establishing the Kakwa-Willmore Interprovincial Park.
Since October 2003, when Premiers Klein and Campbell signed the Alberta-B.C. Protocol of Cooperation in Calgary, 15 agreements have been signed that commit Alberta and British Columbia to work together in a wide range of areas. The increased efficiency from this common sense co-operation has resulted in real financial savings for Alberta and British Columbia taxpayers and the businesses that operate in our provinces.
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A copy of Alberta-British Columbia Trade, Investment, and Labour Mobility Agreement is available online at:
www.gov.bc.ca/ecdev/popt/media_room/bc_ab_trade_investment_mobility_agreement.htm
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contact: |
Alberta Office of the Premier 403 510 7182
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Alberta International and Intergovernmental Relations Communications 780 422-2465 780 916-4739
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Press Secretary British Columbia Office of the Premier 250 213-8218
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Director of Communications British Columbia, Public Affairs Bureau 250 952-0152 250 361-5775 (cell)
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For more information on government services or to subscribe to the Province’s news feeds using RSS, visit the Province’s website at www.gov.bc.ca. |
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