The Alberta government is taking aim at B.C. Premier John Horgan in a new, multi-media ad campaign.
Thirty billboards have gone up around B.C. including, Vancouver, Abbotsford and Surrey targeting Horgan's opposition to the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.
The "Yes to TMX" campaign encourages people to get in touch with Horgan, directly, and express support for the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion. Some ads even include his government email address.
Horgan and the NDP government are opposed to the expansion and have used numerous methods, including court filings, to try and slow the project down.
The new ads argue completing the project would not only allow more oil to be shipped overseas, but also increase supply locally in southwest B.C.
In turn, Alberta argues that allowing the project would help bring down some of the highest gas prices in North America.
Alberta has spent approximately $2.75 million on its new campaign, $1.1 million of that in B.C. with $1.65 million also spent in Ottawa to run similar ads, targeting the federal government.
"Canada continues to lose billions of dollars because of lack of pipeline progress thanks to provincial and federal regulations our investment is drying up. Investors used to look at this country as being the most best place to invest, not so much anymore," said Alberta's Energy Minister Sonia Savage.
The campaign will run on billboards, radio, and on social media until the federal government delivers a final decision on the fate of the Trans Mountain Pipeline June 18th.
The multi-front ad campaign comes as Vancouver gets ready to witness a drop in gas prices.
But gas experts say it's not related to any potential ad war.
Dan McTeague, the senior petroleum analyst for GasBuddy.com, says the price at the pumps is expected to drop six cents on Saturday, to $1.59 per litre.
McTeague believes it will drop even further on Sunday, by three cents, to prices not seen since last March.
"Much of this is not due to anything more than the fact that there is absolute nervousness among traders. The ongoing rhetoric and escalating war of words and tariffs between the United States and China, and now the United States and Mexico is very much threatening the global economic outlook."
