Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has committed $14 million to revive a West Coast pipeline plan, aiming to export oilsands crude to Asia through Prince Rupert. She framed the project as a “moral imperative” but said taxpayers would not fund construction.
The proposal mirrors the failed Northern Gateway pipeline and hinges on Ottawa reversing its northern B.C. tanker ban and First Nations’ participation. Smith said Indigenous voices will be central, noting support from some Alberta leaders, though Coastal First Nations remain firmly opposed.
B.C. Premier David Eby dismissed the plan as political theatre without private-sector backing. Alberta will file the project with the federal Major Projects Office next spring, backed by an advisory group including Enbridge and Trans Mountain, though no builder or route is set.
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This is not breaking news, positing as an ICYMI for the energy folks. A successful pipeline could expand Canadian crude exports to Asia, reducing reliance on U.S. markets.
