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OTTAWA — Less than a week after Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith jointly announced plans for a new oil pipeline to Canada’s West Coast, environmental groups and other opponents are beginning to mobilize against the project.
The Green Party of Canada has described the agreement as a “deal from hell,” while several environmental organizations have raised concerns about greenhouse gas emissions, tanker traffic and the potential consequences of an oil spill along the British Columbia coast.
Environmental Defence, West Coast Environmental Law, Nature Québec and the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment are among the organizations opposing the proposal.
Criticism has also come from the Pembina Institute, an environmental policy organization, which argues the project lacks a compelling commercial case and says governments should instead focus on expanding existing pipeline systems and investing in electricity infrastructure.
The organization has pointed to the absence of a private-sector company prepared to independently finance and build the project as evidence of uncertainty surrounding its economics.
Former federal environment minister Steven Guilbeault has also criticized government involvement in the pipeline, arguing taxpayers should not be responsible for financing major infrastructure benefiting profitable oil producers.
Some Indigenous communities along the proposed route are seeking additional information and consultation.
The Tsawwassen First Nation says it had not been consulted before the announcement and expects meaningful involvement from the earliest stages of planning and decision-making.
The Musqueam First Nation has also indicated it wants more information about the proposal.
The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, which operates Roberts Bank, says it was not involved in discussions about the proposed pipeline route and is reviewing the project to understand its potential implications.
The proposed West Coast Oil Pipeline would carry more than one million barrels of oil per day from Bruderheim, Alta., to a marine terminal at Roberts Bank, B.C., largely following the existing Trans Mountain pipeline corridor.
The project is estimated to cost between $35.2 billion and $43.7 billion and would be developed by Trans Mountain Corporation with participation from Pembina Pipeline Corp., the federal and Alberta governments and Indigenous partners.
The project submission identifies 23 Indigenous communities in Alberta and 85 in British Columbia for engagement.
Alberta has submitted the proposal to the federal Major Projects Office for consideration as a project of national interest, with a decision targeted for Oct. 1.
If approved, governments hope to secure the permits needed to begin construction as early as fall 2027.
Carney has described the project as part of Canada’s effort to become a global energy superpower and reduce its dependence on the United States by expanding access to growing Asian markets.
Despite the emerging opposition, the political environment surrounding the project differs significantly from previous attempts to build major pipelines to Canada’s West Coast.
British Columbia Premier David Eby has said his government will not launch a legal challenge against the proposal, while the federal and Alberta governments have agreed to jointly advance the project.
Carney has also committed to streamlining federal regulatory approvals while maintaining environmental standards and consulting Indigenous communities.
The announcement was welcomed by oil producers and construction industry organizations, which say additional pipeline capacity would create jobs, encourage investment and give Canadian producers greater access to international markets.
Construction associations in Alberta and British Columbia have urged governments to move quickly while continuing to invest in skilled trades training and workforce development.
The Alberta Construction Association said major projects of this scale would create opportunities well beyond pipeline construction, including engineering, fabrication, transportation, concrete work, environmental services and ongoing operations.
The proposal has also received cautious support within the oilpatch, although questions remain about construction costs, pipeline tolls and commitments from producers to ship oil through the line.
Del Mondor, head of Saskatchewan-based Aldon Oils, has estimated the project has less than a 50 per cent chance of being completed because of political and economic uncertainty.
Other industry observers have described the agreement between Ottawa and Alberta as a significant change in Canada’s energy policy and an opportunity to expand exports beyond the United States.
The pipeline would be capable of transporting more than one million barrels per day to the Pacific Coast, increasing Canada’s ability to supply markets in Asia.
The project would also be developed alongside the Pathways carbon capture and storage project, which governments say could reduce emissions from oilsands operations by about 16 million tonnes annually.
Carney and Smith have argued the pipeline, expanded oilsands production and emissions reductions can proceed together as Canada seeks to strengthen energy security, attract investment and become a larger supplier of energy to global markets.
Meanwhile, Smith is welcoming a potential route for another major pipeline, this time carrying Alberta oil east to Canadian refineries and markets.
Ontario has unveiled a potential route for the Northern Shield Energy Corridor, a proposed 3,300-kilometre oil pipeline running from Hardisty, Alta., to Sarnia, Ont.
The proposal follows an agreement signed last year by Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario to work together on new pipelines and trade infrastructure across provincial borders.
Smith said the proposed west-east pipeline could provide Alberta with greater access to domestic refineries, eastern Canadian markets and open-water ports serving overseas customers.
“A new west-east pipeline would accelerate the Alberta government’s goal to double oil production, moving an additional 500,000 barrels of oil per day and the potential for future expansion up to a total of 800,000 barrels per day,” Smith said.
“This project is about making Canada stronger. By connecting Alberta’s energy with Canadian refineries and markets, we can create jobs, grow our economy and make better use of the world-class resources we already have.”
Ontario is beginning work to estimate costs and examine commercial models and other development opportunities associated with the proposed energy corridor.
Smith said Alberta remains committed to working with provincial and federal partners to advance the proposal.
The potential west-east pipeline would complement Alberta’s efforts to expand access to global energy markets through the proposed West Coast Oil Pipeline.
Together, the two proposals could provide more than 1.5 million barrels per day of additional pipeline capacity, with the potential for further expansion, connecting Alberta oil with domestic refineries and growing international markets.
The growing opposition to the West Coast proposal suggests major pipeline projects will continue to face political and environmental debate, even as governments increasingly pursue new infrastructure aimed at expanding Canada’s energy production and export capacity.
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