TORONTO -- A Canadian company that supplies crews of skilled workers says the federal government's approval of the Northern Gateway pipeline will create as many as 3,000 new construction jobs.

CEO Hunter Reid of TDT Crews Inc. says the building of the pipeline would create a huge demand for skilled trades from provinces, especially Ontario's large, skilled construction workforce.

Reid says labour mobility will be critical and is urging that Canadians be hired first for the project.

But Calgary-based Enbridge says it has a long way to go before breaking ground for the controversial pipeline.

Ottawa gave the green light to the multibillion-dollar Alberta-to-West Coast project, but it's subject to 209 conditions recommended by a regulatory panel late last year.

Opponents of the Northern Gateway pipeline, including B.C. aboriginal groups, are vowing that the pipeline will never be built.

TDT Crews has offices in the Toronto area and in Edmonton.