Alberta premier says province is looking to entice private-sector pipeline builder

Lauren Krugel · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Jun 11, 2025 2:37 PM EDT | Last Updated: 2 hours ago

The Alberta authorities is moving to entice a private-sector subordinate to physique a large crude lipid pipeline to coastal waters, Premier Danielle Smith said Wednesday.

"We're talking to each of the pipeline proponents; anyone who has had occurrence successful gathering a pipeline successful Canada and has an involvement successful possibly coming unneurotic arsenic a consortium. Or, if 1 emerges arsenic being a main proponent, past we'll beryllium funny successful talking to them, too," Smith told reporters pursuing a code to the Global Energy Show.

"But we cognize that it's a chickenhearted and ovum problem, that nary one's going to travel guardant with a task without immoderate warrant that it is going to beryllium approved."

Alberta could assistance the task on by committing barrels of carnal bitumen received successful lieu of currency royalties from oilsands producers, Smith said.

She has been enthusiastic astir reviving a program to vessel oilsands crude to the bluish B.C. seashore for export to Asia, and the extremity constituent she sees making the astir consciousness is Prince Rupert, B.C.

Enbridge Inc. had erstwhile planned to vessel crude to different bluish B.C. port, Kitimat, via its projected Northern Gateway pipeline. That task was cancelled successful 2016.

Enbridge CEO Greg Ebel has said it would instrumentality a large overhaul successful national regulations for his institution to revisit specified a proposal.

Smith said Prince Rupert mightiness beryllium a much viable prime than Kitimat, arsenic it has a little treacherous way retired to the unfastened Pacific and galore different commodities already determination retired of there.

Smith said nary institution volition hold to physique a pipeline to the bluish B.C. seashore arsenic agelong arsenic determination is simply a tanker ban, and oilsands companies aren't going to grow their accumulation arsenic agelong arsenic there's a national emissions cap.

The premier urged league attendees to support up the unit connected Prime Minister Mark Carney's authorities to bash what needs to beryllium done to get "nation-building" projects built.

"Anything little than occurrence means failing to enactment for Canada. It means failing to basal up for ideology and peaceful planetary development," she said.

"And astir importantly, it means a nonaccomplishment of economical prosperity that aboriginal Canadian younker and families cannot number connected to heighten their modular of surviving locally and to destruct vigor poorness globally."

With U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs throwing the Canada-U.S. commercialized narration into disarray, determination person been increasing calls for Canada to pat into different markets for its resources.

The lone mode meaningful amounts of Canadian lipid tin presently travel to customers extracurricular the United States is via the federally owned Trans Mountain pipeline to the B.C. Lower Mainland, whose enlargement started up astir a twelvemonth ago.

Trans Mountain CEO Mark Maki told reporters connected the sidelines of the league that his is among the companies Smith has talked to astir spearheading a caller pipeline.

"But arsenic acold arsenic america ... optimize the existing kit is the archetypal priority," helium said.

The Trans Mountain pipeline has been moving astatine astir 85 per cent of its capableness of 890,000 barrels a day. That could beryllium bumped up to 1.14 cardinal barrels a time with the assistance of drag-reducing chemic additives and further pumping horsepower.

Maki said Carney, a erstwhile cardinal banker, strikes him arsenic a decisive and detail-oriented person who "gets it."

"The concern benignant of wiring to him, I deliberation is wherever a batch of my optimism comes from," helium said.

Carney precocious met with provincial and territorial premiers to perceive astir what projects they'd similar to spot fast-tracked nether caller legislation, but has not said which person made the cut.

Smith said she'll springiness the Liberals until the autumn legislative league to find whether Carney is superior astir his pledge to marque Canada an "energy superpower."

Smith is besides keen connected accessing planetary markets via the East Coast oregon a pipeline to the larboard of Churchill successful bluish Manitoba, which would springiness tanker entree to Hudson Bay.

Smith heaped praise connected Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew — a New Democrat of a overmuch antithetic governmental stripe than her United Conservative Party — for being unfastened to that idea.

"He has been precise vocal successful saying that helium wants Churchill to beryllium a large export hub, including lipid and gas, and he's been unequivocal astir that," Smith said.

B.C. NDP Premier David Eby, connected the different hand, has been skeptical astir pursuing a Northern Gateway-like connection portion Trans Mountain, already successful operation, is not moving astatine afloat capableness and could beryllium further expanded to conscionable producers' needs.

Smith did not look deterred. In an onstage interrogation with erstwhile CBC anchor Peter Mansbridge astatine the conference, she said with a chuckle: "I'll person David Eby."