A solid historical analysis as one would expect from Donald Savoie.

How the decision to finally cancel Energy East became a complex balance among changing market conditions, alternative pipeline opportunities, declining oil sands expansions, anti-pipeline regional voices, and increased regulatory requirements we will never know. Nor will we know how the pipeline and the New Brunswick refineries might have been re-designed to use the Alberta and Saskatchewan oil, or what kinds of economic benefits would have accrued to New Brunswick.

What else may be gone are the friendly relations that have existed over the past two decades among all of the provinces. What could well be gone is any chance that this Federal government will be re-elected, as the Conservatives correctly argue that Trudeau's professed balance between pipeline economics on one side, and environmental and First Nations benefits on the other side was a "hopey" lie. And we may be back to a right wing federal government.