Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and new Prime Minister Mark Carney have teamed up to finish the deal on a new oil pipeline. This project will extend all the way up to the coast of British Columbia’s northern region. This long-planned, ambitious project has already run into vocal and fierce opposition—most notably from British Columbia’s newish Premier David Eby. The initiative is still in its early development phases, without a clear path forward yet drawn.
Touted as a historic deal in the signing ceremony, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith expressed her hopefulness of the agreement. She said it signals the end of what she referred to as “dark days” for Alberta. She made the case that the province has fallen on hard times in resource development because of strict federal environmental legislation.
“This agreement is a step forward for Alberta’s economic future,” Smith said, alluding to the potential benefits the pipeline could bring to the region.
Former Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney backed up this view, calling the pipeline critical to Canada’s long-term economic growth. He claimed the pipeline would facilitate Canadian oil moving to Asian markets. This new development will keep increasing the country’s export markets.
Under terms of the settlement, both Alberta and Ottawa commit to engaging British Columbia “immediately” to ensure B.C. is included on relevant discussions about the pipeline project. This new inclusion is a significant step toward addressing the concerns raised by BC officials, while moving the proposal much further along.
The terms of the agreement contain very unique provisions. For one, these provisions exempt the proposed pipeline from the tanker ban that is currently in effect off the coast of BC. The group has pledged to stop supporting the federal cap on oil and gas emissions. This decision has left environmental advocates fearful.
While there is plenty of enthusiasm from the top brass in Alberta, B.C. premier David Eby has been unequivocal in his opposition to the project. He deprecated it as “fictional” and dismissed it as a “distraction.” He claimed that it does not meaningfully respond to environmental concerns associated with oil train transport.
Eby expressed his disappointment over British Columbia’s exclusion from initial discussions, stating, “It would have been good for BC to be at the table.”
The Alberta government has been all-in from the start on the project. They’ve already pledged C$14 million, or some $10 million or £7.5 million, to develop a full proposal. This proposal is intended to move off government books into the private sector for further development once initial fits and starts are cleared up.
Recently, the United States became the biggest single buyer of Canadian crude oil, making up more than 90% of those exports. President Trump has promised to double non-US US exports in the next ten years. This ambitious goal is a major step shift in Canada’s trade strategy.
Critics of the agreement have focused on its likely environmental harm and the precedent set by suspending emissions caps. Pierre Poilievre, a prominent opposition figure, remarked on the pace of progress tied to the agreement: “This from a Prime Minister who promised during the election to move with ‘unimaginable speed.’”
Gord Johns, a coastal British Columbia member of Parliament, echoed these sentiments. He advised Liberals in the area to be on their guard. “Right now, if you’re a Liberal from coastal British Columbia, you should be very deeply concerned,” he stated.