OTTAWA – The federal government of Canada is moving forward with the process to designate a proposed oil pipeline to the West Coast as a "national interest" project. This designation under the Building Canada Act enables the government to expedite approvals, bypass certain environmental regulations, and streamline the project management process.
A notice published in the Canada Gazette on August 1, 2026, sets a deadline of September 18, 2026, for submitting comments regarding the national interest designation. The proposed pipeline has already been referred to the government’s major projects office, with the Alberta government identified as the proponent of the project. The ownership of the pipeline will be shared among Trans Mountain, the Alberta Petroleum Marketing Commission, and Pembina Pipeline Corporation. Pembina holds a 10 percent ownership stake in the construction and has the option to acquire an additional 10 percent upon the pipeline's operational status.
According to the government’s notice, Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc will collaborate with officials from both the Alberta and British Columbia governments while consultations with Indigenous communities are ongoing. The Alberta government has expressed approval for this development, though it emphasizes that this step is merely part of the larger approval process. Alberta Energy and Minerals Minister Brian Jean commented in an email, saying, "We’re encouraged by the Canada Gazette notice, but it is just one step in the process to determine whether the project will be listed as a Project of National Interest."
Minister Jean also reiterated the Alberta government's commitment to working with project partners and federal counterparts to facilitate the application, approval, and eventual construction of the pipeline.
However, environmental advocates have criticized the government's approach to this project. Julia Levin, an associate director at Environmental Defence, pointed out the perceived lack of transparency, criticizing the government for initiating this process over a long weekend when Canadians were occupied with various severe weather events, including wildfires and floods. Levin remarked, "It’s no wonder he didn’t want to draw attention to this environmentally and economically risky project, and the breakneck speed at which he wants to get it approved without due oversight."
Opposition parties have also weighed in, with NDP Leader Avi Lewis describing the pipeline project as "corporate welfare on a surreal scale," emphasizing that it isn't primarily supported by the private sector. He stated, "For Canadians across this land, it is a kick in the teeth to call this climate bomb of a project ‘in the national interest.’ It is in big oil's interest, for sure. But it doesn’t do a damn thing for people struggling with the cost of food and housing, increased costs from privatized health care, and of course the daily anxiety of climate breakdown."
The government has defined “national interest” to include projects that strengthen Canada’s autonomy, resilience, and security, provide economic benefits, have a high likelihood of success, advance Indigenous interests, and contribute to “clean growth” and the achievement of Canada’s climate change objectives.
This proposed pipeline is considered a central component of an energy agreement between the federal government and Alberta. The approximately 1,250-kilometre pipeline aims to transport over one million barrels of crude oil per day from Bruderheim, Alberta, to a port near Delta, British Columbia, for international shipping.
Furthermore, the Conservatives assisted the government in passing the Building Canada Act more than a year ago. To date, the government has progressed three projects toward national interest designation, including the Grays Bay road and port project in Nunavut, the Mackenzie Valley Highway in the Northwest Territories, and the Nuclear Waste Management Organization's deep geological repository in northern Ontario.
