A proposed new oil pipeline to Canada’s West Coast is drawing mixed reaction in Alberta, where some see the agreement between Ottawa and Alberta as a long-awaited economic boost while others remain skeptical the project will ever be built.
Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith signed an agreement Friday that could see construction on a new pipeline begin as early as September 2027, with oil potentially flowing by 2033 or 2034.
In northern Alberta, oil and gas worker Mike Bull-Perry said he believes the project could create more jobs, though he remains cautious after years of delays surrounding other pipeline projects.
“It’s really hard to say until pen gets put to paper,” Bull-Perry said. “I hope for it, but I know the struggles that we had with Trans Mountain, getting those approvals in and how many stops we had.”
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The agreement commits Alberta to submitting a proposal to the federal government’s Major Projects Office by July 1. Ottawa would then move to designate the pipeline a project of national interest by Oct. 1.
But major details remain unresolved, including who would build the pipeline, where it would run, and how consultations with Indigenous communities and British Columbia would proceed.
On CTV’s Question Period Sunday, Smith said Alberta has already been exploring possible routes and export terminals.
“We’ve been working on the route for some time, and I did share with the prime minister that we would let him know what our options are,” she said.
“We had five different ports that we were looking at. And there are some that just emerge as being a bit more economic than the other.”
‘When the economy is thriving, people thrive’
The agreement ties the proposed pipeline to Pathways, a major carbon capture project. The deal would also slow the rise of Alberta’s industrial carbon price, reaching an effective price of $130 per tonne by 2040 instead of 2030.
Some climate groups have criticized the deal, arguing it weakens Canada’s emissions targets while expanding fossil fuel infrastructure.
Still, many Albertans say they hope the project will revive economic momentum in a province still recovering from years of instability in the energy sector.
Michael Noble, owner of The Nash and Off Cut Bar in Calgary, remembers the last major oil boom more than a decade ago, when high oil prices fuelled spending across the province.
“It was amazing. When the economy is thriving, people thrive,” Noble said. “It makes them want to go out. It makes them want to celebrate.”
Noble said a new pipeline could create ripple effects far beyond the oilpatch.
“I think there would be such a trickle-down effect not only for the restaurant industry, but society in general,” he said.
He added that meaningful consultation would be critical moving forward.
“The listening needs to happen on both sides of that coin,” Noble said. “But it’s all about integrity, fairness, and let’s think about really what is going to benefit Canada over the long run.”
Not everyone supports the proposal.
Jeffrey Rath, a lawyer affiliated with the separatist group Stay Free Alberta, questioned whether Alberta is making too many climate concessions without certainty the pipeline will move forward.
He added the agreement does little to ease frustrations among some Albertans pushing for sovereignty.
“The fact that Danielle’s trying to sell this as something that’s good for Alberta, I think, is galvanizing our movement to understand that the only way forward is to get out of Canada,” Rath said.
