Skip to Content Subscribe Our Offers My Account Manage My Subscriptions FAQ Newsletters Canada Canadian True Crime Canadian Politics Health World Israel & Middle East Financial Post NP Comment Longreads Puzzmo Diversions Comics NP News Quiz New York Times Crossword Horoscopes Life Eating & Drinking Style Sponsored Play for Ontario Travel Travel Canada Travel USA Travel International Cruises Travel Essentials Culture Books Celebrity Movies Music Theatre Television Business Essentials Advice Lives Told Tails Told Shopping Buy Canadian Home Living Outdoor Living Kitchen & Dining Tech Style & Beauty Personal Care Entertainment & Hobbies Gift Guide Travel Guide Amazon Prime Day Deals Savings National Post Store More Sports Hockey Baseball Basketball Football Soccer Golf Tennis Driving Vehicle Research Reviews News Gear Guide Obituaries Place an Obituary Place an In Memoriam Classifieds Place an Ad Celebrations Working Business Ads Archives Healthing Epaper Manage Print Subscription Profile Settings My Subscriptions Saved Articles My Offers Newsletters Customer Service FAQ Newsletters Canada World Financial Post NP Comment Longreads Puzzmo Diversions Life Shopping Epaper Manage Print Subscription HomeNewsCanadaCanadian PoliticsAlberta to unveil West Coast pipeline proposal on ThursdayTwo big questions looming over Alberta's pipeline pitch are whether a private sector proponent will step forward to build it and the exact route it would take You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.Alberta Premier Danielle Smith speaks during the Global Energy Show in Calgary on Tuesday, June 9, 2026. Photo by Gavin Young /PostmediaOTTAWA — Alberta’s proposal for building a new million-barrel-a-day pipeline to the West Coast will be unveiled on Thursday, a spokesman for the premier confirmed.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorAlberta Premier Danielle Smith and Prime Minister Mark Carney agreed in May that the province’s United Conservative Party government would submit its application for a new pipeline to the federal Major Projects Office “by July 1.”“We will have a major announcement on July 2 to share new details about the Government of Alberta’s submission to the Major Projects Office for a new one-million-barrel-per-day oil pipeline to Canada’s West Coast,” spokesman Sam Blackett wrote in a statement on Monday, citing that July 1 was Canada Day. Alberta’s push to build a new pipeline to the West Coast has been the centrepiece of a memorandum of understanding Smith and Carney agreed to last fall, as the pair looked to reset the Ottawa-Alberta relationship after years of acrimony over federal energy policies under former prime minister Justin Trudeau.Since taking office, Carney has pledged to transform Canada into an “energy superpower,” with Smith advocating that a new pipeline to the West Coast would advance the federal goal of diversifying the country’s export capacity to Asian markets in the face of tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump. Her province is also facing a push to separate from Canada, with Smith looking at the pipeline deal as a way to demonstrate improved relations with Ottawa.Two big questions looming over Alberta’s pipeline pitch are whether a private sector proponent will step forward to build it and the exact route a possible new pipeline would take, given the fierce backlash past projects have received from some local First Nations and environmental groups when proposed routes have run through British Columbia’s northwest coast, with nearby waters protected by an oil tanker moratorium.Smith’s government is expected to hold a telephone townhall on Tuesday about its pipeline proposal with Indigenous communities, with a media notice saying it would be collecting information for further engagement.Smith has signalled that a northern route would be the most advantageous in terms of port access and proximity to Asian markets.B.C. Premier David Eby has said he is opposed to lifting the oil tanker ban and has panned Alberta’s pipeline proponent as so far lacking any private sector backer. Under the deal with Alberta, Carney’s government has said it is open to amending parts of the oil tanker ban.Eby has argued that his province has a list of major projects with real investment backing that the Carney government ought to consider for fast-tracked approvals, with the premier saying his NDP government was negotiating its own memorandum of understanding with the federal government.Under the deal with Alberta, Carney’s government has committed to working towards designating Smith’s pipeline proposal as a project in the “national interest” by October 2026, with the stated goal of providing it with the conditions necessary to begin construction by September 2027.A federal official confirmed to reporters last week that designating a project to be in the “national interest” would not require it to have a private sector proponent. That designation would trigger the process that the Carney government ushered in last year to provide it with more upfront approvals in the hope of providing more certainty to industry and investors.Carney has tied the construction of a possible new oil pipeline to the West Coast to a group of major oilsands companies agreeing to build a massive carbon capture and storage network meant to trap carbon emissions as a way to deal with the emissions from a new pipeline, an endeavour estimated to cost billions of dollars.National PostOur website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our politics newsletter, First Reading, here. Join the Conversation This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.