Alberta Premier Danielle Smith believes the conversation around pipelines is shifting, following recent comments by Quebec Premier François Legault sharing an openness to develop projects in his province.
Speaking on her weekend morning radio program, Your Province, Your Premier, on Saturday, Smith said she has been trying to lobby Legault to further develop Quebec’s natural gas resources.
“Every time I saw him, he said, ‘There’s no social acceptability for it,’ until recently,” Smith said.
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Legault made an appearance on the podcast Contact hosted by Stéphan Bureau last week and said he senses a growing openness to potential pipeline projects among Quebecers.
He even mentioned a potential project that would pass through the northern part of the province and end at the port of Sept-Îles.
“There are projects like that which would have been unthinkable before Trump,” said Legault.
“Quebecers are saying, ‘There’s no way Trump is going to control the oil we produce in Alberta.’ So, can we export it to Europe through Quebec instead of being stuck with Trump? There’s openness. I feel things are shifting,” he added.
Smith says she believes there are a few factors that may have swayed her Quebec counterpart, including the world’s perspective on natural gas and foreign demand.
“I think there is a world understanding that natural gas is an important transition fuel. I think it’s a destination fuel, personally, but when you use natural gas, it means you’re not using other high-emitting fuels like coal and wood and, in some cases, even dung,” Smith said.
“The high demand in Europe, when you think of the proximity for Quebec, if they develop their resources, work with Nova Scotia and we’re able to export to Europe, that helps our allies there.”
Quebec rejected the GNL Québec project in Saguenay in 2021. Ottawa did the same in 2022. The Energy East project, which aimed to transport oil from Alberta to New Brunswick, was cancelled in 2017.
Last week, Prime Minister Mark Carney indicated in an interview with CTV News that he’s open to building more pipelines if there is consensus across the country in favour of it.
But Canada’s former environment minister said the country should make full use of its existing infrastructure for transporting energy products before building more.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the first meeting of Carney’s new cabinet, Steven Guilbeault claimed less than half of the Trans Mountain pipeline’s capacity is being used.
“Before we start talking about building an entire new pipeline, maybe we should maximize the use of existing infrastructure,” Guilbeault said Wednesday.
“And the Canadian Energy Regulator, as well as the International Energy Agency, are telling us that by 2028-2029, demand for oil will peak globally, and it will also peak in Canada.”
The actual utilization rate of the Trans Mountain pipeline is contested. According to data from the Canada Energy Regulator, utilization appeared to be up around 76 per cent as of December 2024.
Guilbeault, who now heads the federal culture portfolio, served as environment minister under former PM Justin Trudeau.
Smith has been critical of Guilbeault, who was the minister of environment as Alberta and the federal government clashed over energy policy in recent years.
She also raised concerns about comments by new Environment Minister Julie Dabrusin, but said recently appointed Energy Minister Tim Hodgson has been “well received” by the industry.
“I’m trying to figure out which voice in caucus is going to be the one that prevails? Is it going to be the voice that has prevailed over the last 10 years, which is the ‘keep it in the ground’ voice? Or is it going to be the understanding that ... Canada really can be an energy and economic superpower, but we’ve got to build things,” Smith said.
Asked about the issue Thursday, Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet pointed to the comments made by Guilbeault.
“Mr. Guilbeault was quite clear yesterday in saying that he sees no market and no promoter for such a project, which makes it irrelevant … I’m much more in agreement with Mr. Guilbeault in this case,” Blanchet said.
With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Craig Ellingson and The Canadian Press
