EDMONTON, Alta. — The Alberta and B.C. governments eased the economic border between the provinces with the signing of the Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement (TILMA) on April 28.

Under the new agreement, businesses will only be required to register once for both provinces and under the transportation section of the agreement this will eliminate additional registration requirements for inter-provincial truckers when the agreement goes into effect on April 1, 2007.

“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,” said B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell. “We have two of the strongest, most dynamic economies in all of Canada and this agreement will make B.C. and Alberta even stronger.”

Trucks travelling between Canada’s two westernmost provinces will be given temporary immunity to additional registration fees for trucks weighing in at a gross weight of less than 11, 794 kg. The full and free registration reciprocity between the provinces will be good for a period of up to 90 days within a calendar year.

The overall scope of the agreement aims to 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.

“Together, we created a combined Alberta-B.C. market of more than 7.5 million people,” said Alberta Premier Ralph Klein. “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.”

The agreement creates the second largest economic region in Canada and was signed in Alberta’s capital city at the fourth annual joint Alberta-British Columbia Cabinet meeting. 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 B.C. to work together in a wide range of areas.