Prime Minister Mark Carney has designated the proposed Pacific Link oil pipeline as a Project of National Interest under the federal Building Canada Act, with federal review requirements targeted to be finalized by September 2027.
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Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Oct. 1 that the proposed West Coast oil pipeline project now formally called “Pacific Link” has been designated a Project of National Interest under the federal Building Canada Act.
Carney said the federal government is moving the project onto a faster review track and is aiming to finalize the conditions for construction by September 2027. He said the designation establishes a single federal review process and that the Major Projects Office and the Canada Energy Regulator will develop the requirements the project must meet, including environmental protection, Indigenous considerations, ownership, economic benefits, local hiring, and oversight.
Pacific Link would run from near Edmonton to Metro Vancouver and would carry an additional one million barrels of crude a day to overseas markets, providing another export outlet beyond the United States. The federal government said the project is intended to support access to countries other than the U.S., and it positioned the pipeline as part of efforts to double Canadian exports beyond the U.S.
According to the announcement, the pipeline would take a southern route through British Columbia, avoiding the province’s North Coast and other sensitive coastal areas where a tanker ban remains in place. Detailed route planning and environmental studies remain ahead, but Alberta’s provincial government has identified the southern route reaching Metro Vancouver as the preferred route.
The planned pipeline would largely follow the same right-of-way or corridor already established by the Trans Mountain Pipeline, then travel through some of the southernmost areas of Metro Vancouver to reach a major new storage and marine export terminal in Tsawwassen. The proposal would include building a new additional causeway peninsula in the Strait of Georgia.
The announcement said the federal government is also working with the Province of B.C. on building the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority’s Roberts Bank 2 container terminal in Tsawwassen and on a future marine terminal to export oil from Pacific Link. It said Trans Mountain Corporation would develop, build and operate Pacific Link on behalf of its backers, while Pembina Pipeline Corporation is also involved as a private investor contributing expertise.
In terms of ownership, the federal government said it will have an equal ownership interest with Alberta’s provincial government. It added that First Nations would be offered an ownership stake of at least 10 per cent, supported by federal and Alberta provincial loan guarantee programs. Alberta’s provincial government would participate through the Alberta Petroleum Marketing Corporation.
Carney said officials consulted over the past three months with more than 130 Indigenous communities near potential routes in Alberta and B.C., and the B.C. government was also consulted during the national interest designation process.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith welcomed the decision, saying the listing sends a message that Canada is “ready to build again.” She said the project could support up to 140,000 jobs at the peak of construction, with operations, oil production, maintenance, and trade supporting another 50,000 jobs annually, and she cited federal estimates that the pipeline would contribute more than $20 billion per year to Canada’s gross domestic product and generate $100 billion in government revenue by 2060.
Smith also said her government estimates the additional oil production needed to supply the pipeline would generate more than $265 billion in extra provincial royalties over an expected operating life of more than 50 years.
The announcement also referenced a July 2026 decision under the Canada-British Columbia Cooperative Prosperity Agreement, when B.C. Premier David Eby said the B.C. NDP-led provincial government agreed to work with Alberta and the federal governments on routing and permitting. In exchange, the agreement described a provincial revenue share tied to the pipeline’s route and construction and operations of a new marine export terminal.
Lorne Doerkson, leader of the Conservative Party of British Columbia, welcomed the federal designation, saying the province should help other parts of Canada reach overseas buyers and benefit from investment and jobs. Doerkson said he would call for a working group with Alberta, the federal government and First Nations to address environmental concerns and other issues, and he said he wants transparent discussions with residents and First Nations as more details are clarified.
Doerkson said he was also concerned about the existing northern oil tanker ban but did not explicitly commit to removing it, adding he wanted a careful and environmentally aware approach. He also promoted a BC Energy Superpower Plan aimed at doubling B.C.’s natural gas production by 2032 and tripling it by 2035.
The Greater Vancouver Board of Trade also welcomed the announcement, with its president and CEO Bridgitte Anderson saying greater overseas access could reduce Canada’s vulnerability to disruptions involving existing trading partners. Anderson said Pacific Link could spur additional investment alongside LNG Canada’s second phase, mining and critical mineral projects, potash expansions, and transportation infrastructure including Roberts Bank Terminal 2.
The announcement noted that LNG Canada’s private sector owners made a business decision earlier in the week to proceed with the $33-billion second phase of their LNG production and export facility in Kitimat, B.C.
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