Calgary 
Canada and Alberta have taken another step toward developing a new West Coast oil pipeline, now officially named Pacific Link.
Alberta and Canada sign major housing agreement July 29, 2026/Credit: Alberta Newsroom
Prime Minister Mark Carney announced in Fort McMurray on October 1 that the proposed pipeline has been listed as a project of national interest under the Building Canada Act. The designation moves it into a streamlined federal review led by the Major Projects Office, with support from the Canada Energy Regulator.
The federal government says the project would follow a southern route that avoids British Columbia’s North Coast and the Great Bear Sea.
The designation does not mean construction can begin immediately. It places Pacific Link under the Major Projects Office review process, with the federal government aiming to finalize project conditions by September 1, 2027.
Canada and Alberta are proposing to hold equal ownership shares, while Indigenous communities would be offered at least a 10 per cent ownership interest. Pembina Pipeline Corporation is participating as a private investor, and Trans Mountain Corporation is expected to develop, construct and operate the project for the proponents.
The project still has several major steps ahead.
Over the next year, the federal review will examine environmental protections, Indigenous rights, local hiring, project benefits and other conditions. The Major Projects Office aims to finalize a conditions document by September 1, 2027. More than 130 Indigenous communities near or along potential routes in Alberta and British Columbia were consulted during the initial assessment.
Both governments are also emphasizing the project’s economic potential.
Ottawa estimates Pacific Link could create 140,000 jobs, generate more than $20 billion in GDP annually and produce $100 billion in government revenue by 2060. Alberta says operations, production, maintenance and trade could support another 50,000 jobs annually, while Alberta Treasury Board and Finance estimates the province could receive more than $265 billion in additional royalties over the pipeline’s roughly 50-plus years of operation.
These figures are government projections rather than guaranteed outcomes.
Premier Danielle Smith called the designation “an important step toward strengthening our economy,” while Carney said Pacific Link is “critical” to Canada’s effort to diversify trade.
For now, the announcement gives Pacific Link federal backing and a defined regulatory path. The final route, project conditions and detailed design still need to be worked out.
