Keystone XL Pipeline Canada launches American PR website







The federal government has drastically increased its 2013-2014 advertising budget for the department of Natural Resources. According to a May 14th CBC article by the Canadian Press, the federal advertising budget for 2013-2014 is set to increase by 9 million dollars compared to the 2010-2011 budget. This brings the total advertising budget to 16.5 million dollars. Included in the budget are advertisements set to run in Canada, as well as a website aimed at Americans called “gowithcanada.ca.”    

The introduction of the website, as well as the new budget comes on the heels of Prime Minister Harper’s visit to New York City later this week on March 16th to try and sell his plan for the Keystone XL pipeline- an issue that has been a contentious one for residents on both sides of the border concerned about the possible environmental impacts, should U.S President Barack Obama confirm it.

When visiting the website it becomes clear quite quickly that it was created solely to act as good advertising and PR for the proposed pipeline plan.  Included on the website are different headings which viewers can click on to learn more about a specific area. The headings are blatant propaganda in favour of the keystone xl pipeline and any American who visits the website will be able to see this.

“America and Canada have the same greenhouse gas reduction targets,” “America and Canada standing together for energy independence,” “Canada is America’s largest oil supplier,” “America and Canada: friends neighbors, allies.”  These are just a few of the areas viewers to the site can click on, as well as further information and bar graphs convincing Americans why they need to invest in our natural resources. 

Not everyone is pleased with our government’s recent PR stint. 

"This is what happens when you fire or muzzle the environmental scientists and replace them with advertising executives" said Keith Stewart, a climate campaigner for Greenpeace Canada in an email to the CBC.  

It’s great to know that we have a government who puts an emphasis on covering up the facts, by hiring the right PR or advertising firm to sell whatever the government pleases, and shuns members of our society whose job it is to search for facts. 


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