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Prime Minister Mark Carney announced on 1 October that Canada had listed the proposed West Coast Oil Pipeline, renamed Pacific Link, as a project of national interest under the Building Canada Act. The announcement came from Fort McMurray, Alberta. The designation opens a single federal review process. It is not final construction approval, and detailed conditions remain to be developed.
The proposal would carry up to one million barrels of crude a day from Alberta to a marine export terminal in British Columbia, supporting shipments to Asian markets. The federal release says it would follow a southern route intended to protect British Columbia’s North Coast and avoid sensitive ecosystems, including the Great Bear Sea. The detailed route remains subject to review.
The Major Projects Office, supported by the Canada Energy Regulator, will lead consultations and prepare conditions on ownership, Indigenous rights and benefits, environmental safeguards, local hiring and oversight. The government aims to finalize these by 1 September 2027. Canada and Alberta would hold equal ownership; Indigenous communities are to be offered at least 10% equity, with public loan-guarantee support.