{"id":156004,"date":"2026-08-05T00:47:35","date_gmt":"2026-08-05T00:47:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/156004\/"},"modified":"2026-08-05T00:47:35","modified_gmt":"2026-08-05T00:47:35","slug":"ottawa-moves-to-list-alberta-backed-west-coast-pipeline-as-national-interest-project-6","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/156004\/","title":{"rendered":"Ottawa moves to list Alberta-backed West Coast pipeline as national interest project"},"content":{"rendered":"

OTTAWA \u2014 The federal government is advancing the process to designate a proposed oil pipeline to the West Coast as a \u201cnational interest\u201d project.<\/p>\n

Naming a project in the national interest under the Building Canada Act allows the government to fast-track approvals and skirt some environmental laws.<\/p>\n

A notice published in the Canada Gazette on Aug. 1 sets a Sept. 18 deadline to submit comments on the national interest designation.<\/p>\n

The proposed pipeline project has been referred already to the government\u2019s major projects office, with the Alberta government listed as the proponent. The pipeline would be owned by Trans Mountain, the Alberta Petroleum Marketing Commission and Pembina Pipeline Corporation.<\/p>\n

Pembina has a 10 per cent ownership stake in the construction, with an option to purchase an additional 10 per cent once the pipeline is operational.<\/p>\n

The government\u2019s notice says Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc will work with the Alberta and B.C. governments on the project while consultations with Indigenous communities are underway.<\/p>\n

The Alberta government welcomed the development, but noted this is just one step in the process. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re encouraged by the Canada Gazette notice, but it is just one step in the process to determine whether the project will be listed as a Project of National Interest,\u201d Alberta Energy and Minerals Minister Brian Jean said in an emailed response. <\/p>\n

\u201cAlberta\u2019s government will continue working alongside project partners and remains committed to working with our federal counterparts to facilitate the application, approval and construction of this pipeline.\u201d<\/p>\n

Julia Levin, an associate director at Environmental Defence, criticized the government for quietly beginning this process during a long weekend.<\/p>\n

\u201cOver the weekend, while Canadians across the country are dealing with raging wildfires and the aftermath of severe flooding and heat waves, Prime Minister (Mark) Carney quietly moved forward with his oil pipeline plans,\u201d Levin said in a statement.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s no wonder he didn\u2019t want to draw attention to this environmentally and economically risky project, and the breakneck speed at which he wants to get it approved without due oversight.\u201d<\/p>\n

NDP Leader Avi Lewis called the pipeline project \u201ccorporate welfare on a surreal scale\u201d and pointed out that it is not being backed primarily by the private sector.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor Canadians across this land, it is a kick in the teeth to call this climate bomb of a project \u2018in the national interest,’\u201d Lewis said in an emailed statement.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is in big oil\u2019s interest, for sure. But it doesn\u2019t do a damn thing for people struggling with the cost of food and housing, increased costs from privatized health care, and of course the daily anxiety of climate breakdown.\u201d<\/p>\n

The government\u2019s definition of \u201cnational interest\u201d includes projects that can strengthen \u201cCanada\u2019s autonomy, resilience and security,\u201d provide economic benefits, have a high likelihood of success, advance Indigenous interests and contribute to \u201cclean growth\u201d and meeting Canada\u2019s climate change goals.<\/p>\n

The proposed pipeline is a central component of an energy agreement between the federal and Alberta governments.<\/p>\n

The roughly 1,250-kilometre pipeline would carry upwards of one million barrels of crude oil per day from Bruderheim, Alta. to a port near Delta, B.C. for shipment to international markets.<\/p>\n

The Conservatives helped the government pass the Building Canada Act more than a year ago and the government has so far moved three projects toward the national interest designation.<\/p>\n

Those projects are the Grays Bay road and port project in Nunavut, the Mackenzie Valley Highway in the Northwest Territories and the Nuclear Waste Management Organization\u2019s deep geological repository in northern Ontario.<\/p>\n

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 4, 2026.<\/p>\n

\u2014 with files from Nick Murray in Ottawa. <\/p>\n

David Baxter, The Canadian Press<\/p>\n

\t\tKeep it Factual<\/p>\n

Add CityNews Toronto as a trusted source on Google to see more local stories from us.<\/p>\n

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