UPDATE – Federal: Canadian government invokes 1977 treaty to advocate for Line 5
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The Canadian government recently invoked a 1977 treaty on pipelines between Canada and the U.S. to stop Michigan’s attempt to shut down Enbridge’s Line 5. 
Former Canada Foreign Minister Marc Garneau has indicated in an official letter that the U.S. government must allow natural gas and crude oil to flow between the two countries, as stated in the 1977 treaty.
More than 540,000 barrels per day flow through Line 5, which provides half the oil and propane used in Ontario and the U.S. Midwest.
“In response to Michigan’s efforts to shut down Line 5, Canada has raised its significance for Canadian economic and energy security at the highest levels of the U.S. federal government,” Garneau said.
Canada’s intervention came weeks after court-ordered mediation efforts between the Calgary-based Enbridge and the Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer collapsed. Whitmer is concerned about the pipeline’s environmental risks, particularly in the Straits of Mackinac.
Enbridge stated that the dispute is “directly and significantly” impacting Canada-U.S. relations.
