vladymyrb / Depositphotos.com
EDMONTON — The Grey Cup has come and gone with no word from Ottawa on whether it will approve a new Alberta-backed pipeline to the west coast, despite Premier Danielle Smith’s public expectation that a deal would be in place before the championship game.
The idea of a west coast pipeline first hit the press on Oct. 1 2025, when Smith announced the province would act as the official proponent for a new crude-oil line to tidewater. Under the plan, Alberta would take responsibility for early regulatory work, routing and approvals, then hand the project off to the private sector once federal authorization was secured.
Two days later, on Oct. 3 2025, Smith said she believed an agreement with Ottawa could be finalized ahead of the Nov. 16 Grey Cup. She characterized Alberta and the federal government as “about 80 per cent aligned” on what she called a long overdue breakthrough to expand access to global markets.
That deadline has now passed, with the Saskatchewan Roughriders lifting the trophy and no federal decision in sight. Neither Ottawa nor British Columbia has indicated when, or if, an approval may come.
Concerns in Alberta grew louder after Prime Minister Mark Carney unveiled the latest tranche of national infrastructure and nation-building projects on Nov. 13 2025. The list included energy, transportation and technology initiatives across the country, but nothing related to Alberta oil or export pipelines. The omission has fuelled speculation among analysts and industry watchers that Alberta’s crude-export ambitions may not be a federal priority.
Smith has argued the proposal mirrors international models in jurisdictions that blend provincial leadership with private-sector delivery. She has also maintained that Alberta’s economy needs new pipeline capacity to keep pace with global demand and maintain competitiveness.
For now, the province’s pitch remains in federal hands, with no indication when the government may respond.
Comments