Premier Smith with PM Mark Carney, Oct 2025
Prime Minister Mark Carney is in Fort McMurray ahead of an expected major energy and infrastructure announcement Thursday morning.
According to a media advisory from the Prime Minister’s Office, Carney will make an announcement at 9 a.m. Thursday, October 1, outlining the next step to accelerate a major infrastructure project. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is expected to join the Prime Minister for the announcement.
The advisory does not identify the project. However, speculation is swirling that the announcement could be connected to the proposed West Coast Oil Pipeline.
The timing is significant. The federal government has been considering whether to designate the proposed pipeline as a project of national interest. Federal documents say Canada intends to provide notice by October 1 on whether it plans to list the project under the Building Canada Act.
The proposed pipeline would carry more than one million barrels of oil per day from Alberta to the B.C. coast, opening another route for Canadian oil to reach tidewater and international markets. The current proposal would see the pipeline run from the Edmonton-area region to a marine terminal at Roberts Bank in British Columbia.
If the project receives the national-interest designation, the governments have previously identified a potential construction start as early as September 2027.
New legislation aimed at speeding up approvals
The potential announcement also comes shortly after the federal government tabled Bill C-39, the Building Canada Strong Act.
The legislation is aimed at speeding up major project approvals and making the federal review process more predictable for companies looking to build in Canada.
The proposed legislation would set a one-year target for federal reviews and decisions once a project proponent submits a complete application.
The federal government has promoted the approach as “one project, one review, one year to decision.”
Harvard Media News recently spoke with Canada’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Tim Hodgson about what the changes could mean for Alberta’s energy sector.
Hodgson says the legislation takes lessons learned from the federal Major Projects Office and applies them more broadly.
For the oilsands, Hodgson says the impact will depend on the type of development being proposed.
In-situ oilsands developments generally fall under provincial jurisdiction, while mining projects are subject to federal review.
That distinction could be significant in the Fort McMurray region as producers consider potential expansions of existing oilsands operations.
Hodgson says mining projects remain within the scope of the new federal approval process.
Proposed West Coast pipeline
Hodgson also spoke with Harvard Media News about the proposed West Coast pipeline and the October 1 timeline.
He says work is continuing between Ottawa and Alberta toward a potential national-interest designation.
If the project is designated, the federal government and Alberta have set a target of reaching a decision or conditions document by September 2027.
Hodgson says that could potentially allow construction to begin soon afterward.
A conditions document would establish the conditions under which the project could proceed.
The federal government has also pointed to tax measures, including its productivity-enhancing tax measures, as part of its effort to attract new investment into Canada’s energy sector.
Hodgson says the combination of faster approvals, Alberta’s proposed royalty measures and federal tax incentives could lead to significant new investment in Alberta’s oil and gas industry.
The Prime Minister’s Office has not identified the specific infrastructure project that Carney will address.
Harvard Media News will be on the ground Thursday morning with coverage of the announcement and the latest developments as this story unfolds.
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