Prime Minister Trudeau pushes idea of hydro loop connecting Quebec, Atlantic region

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Monday he remains confident his government will eventually support a connected loop of Atlantic and Quebec electricity, allowing the Maritimes to end its reliance on coal.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Monday he remains confident his government will eventually support a connected loop of Atlantic and Quebec electricity, allowing the Maritimes to end its reliance on coal.

But the promise was quickly criticized by Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston, who said Ottawa hasn't put enough money into the idea to make it work.

During a speech to delegates at the Atlantic Economic Forum, Trudeau pointed to Volkswagen's decision to create an electric-vehicle battery plant in St. Thomas, Ont., saying the firm was attracted by the availability of low-carbon emission electricity.

"We want to see investment like this coming to Atlantic Canada, too. That's what our commitment to building the Atlantic Loop is all about," Trudeau told several hundred people gathered to discuss economic development at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, N.S.

Trudeau was speaking after an introduction from former prime minister Brian Mulroney, who emphasized national leaders need to be capable of seeing the long-term impact of their policies.Before the speech, the former Progressive Conservative leader gave the prime minister a tour of Mulroney Hall on the campus, showing him a replica of his centre-block desk. During their meeting, Trudeau recalled how Mulroney had established the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency in the 1980s in an effort to lift the region's struggling economy.

Trudeau said that creating a loop of hydro power bringing electricity from Quebec and Labrador into Nova Scotia, mainland Newfoundland and New Brunswick would become a similar investment in the region's economic prosperity.

"Just think of it, the East Coast should and could be a clean-energy powerhouse and this federal government will be there to help make it happen," said Trudeau.