Pacific Link Pipeline: What Today’s National Interest Designation Means for Canada and B.C.

October 1, 2026

Canada took a significant step today toward developing a new West Coast oil pipeline connecting Alberta with British Columbia.

Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced that the proposed Pacific Link Pipeline has been designated a Project of National Interest under the federal Building Canada Act.

The announcement is significant—but it is important to understand exactly what has happened.

The pipeline has not been approved for construction.

Instead, the designation moves the project into a consolidated federal regulatory process intended to establish the conditions required for the project to proceed. The federal government is targeting September 1, 2027 for those conditions to be finalized.

What is the Pacific Link Pipeline?

The Pacific Link is a proposed approximately 1,250-kilometre crude oil pipeline connecting Alberta's energy infrastructure with a new export terminal on British Columbia's coast near Delta.

The proposed system would have the capacity to transport approximately one million barrels of crude oil per day to international markets.

The project is being advanced by Trans Mountain Corporation, the Alberta Petroleum Marketing Commission and Pembina Pipeline Corporation. The proposed route would generally follow existing pipeline infrastructure through much of southern British Columbia.

The estimated cost is currently between $35.2 billion and $43.7 billion, according to the federal government's assessment.

Proposed route

The pipeline would begin near Bruderheim, Alberta, before travelling west through Alberta and southern British Columbia.

The proposed system would ultimately connect with a deep-water marine terminal capable of loading Very Large Crude Carriers for international export.

For British Columbia, the proposed route is particularly relevant because the project would use a southern corridor rather than the northern B.C. coast.

Why is the federal government calling it a project of national interest?

One of the central arguments behind the project is export diversification.

Canada currently sends the overwhelming majority of its crude oil exports to the United States. A West Coast export route would create additional access to international markets, particularly in Asia.

The federal government says the project could provide an additional one million barrels per day of export capacity, while helping Canada diversify its trading relationships and reduce its dependence on the U.S. market.

The federal government also estimates that the project could generate:

• Approximately 140,000 jobs

• More than $20 billion in annual GDP

• Up to $100 billion in government revenue by 2060

These figures are government projections, not guaranteed economic outcomes. They depend on the project being constructed and operated as proposed, as well as future production, oil prices, investment and market conditions.

What does the national-interest designation actually do?

This is perhaps the most important part of today's announcement.

Being designated a Project of National Interest does not mean construction can begin immediately.

Instead, the designation is intended to streamline the federal review process and coordinate regulatory requirements.

The Major Projects Office and federal regulators will work toward establishing the conditions that would have to be satisfied before the project can move into construction.

Alberta's government says construction could begin as early as September 1, 2027, but only after the required consultations, approvals, permits and conditions have been completed.

So, in simple terms:

National-interest designation: YES

Construction approval: NO

Regulatory and environmental work: ONGOING

Indigenous consultation: ONGOING

Final project conditions: NOT YET ESTABLISHED

Indigenous participation

Indigenous participation is another major component of the proposal.

The federal and Alberta governments have committed to offering Indigenous communities a minimum 10% ownership interest in the project, supported through federal and provincial loan-guarantee programs.

However, today's announcement does not end consultation.

The federal Order in Council records that Indigenous communities consulted during the designation process expressed a range of concerns, including the need for more detailed information about routing, engineering, environmental impacts, marine infrastructure and mitigation measures.

That means Indigenous consultation and rights remain an important part of the process ahead.

What could this mean for British Columbia?

Although much of the discussion surrounding Pacific Link has focused on Alberta's energy sector, the proposed project would have a direct connection to British Columbia.

The proposed terminal would be located near Delta, meaning the Lower Mainland would be part of the infrastructure story.

Potential areas of interest include:

Infrastructure:
A project of this scale would involve pipelines, pumping facilities, terminals, marine infrastructure and supporting transportation and electrical infrastructure.

Employment and investment:
Construction and related economic activity could extend well beyond Alberta.

Trade:
A West Coast export terminal could provide Canadian producers with greater access to international markets.

Environment and marine safety:
The project will require detailed assessment of environmental effects, construction impacts, marine transportation and spill prevention and response.

Indigenous rights and participation:
Consultation and potential ownership arrangements will continue to be central to the project.

These are among the issues that will need to be addressed before the project can move toward construction.

A project with a long road ahead

Today's announcement represents a major change in the status of the proposed Pacific Link Pipeline—but it is still only one stage in a much larger process.

The project must still address regulatory requirements, environmental safeguards, Indigenous consultation, financing, engineering and other conditions before construction can proceed.

The federal government is targeting September 1, 2027 for the conditions document that would establish the requirements for moving forward.

If those requirements are satisfied, construction could potentially begin after that point.

Why this matters beyond the energy sector

For Canada, Pacific Link represents more than another pipeline proposal.

It touches on several larger questions facing the country:

How can Canada diversify its export markets?

How should major infrastructure projects balance economic development with environmental protection?

What role should Indigenous ownership and participation play in nation-building projects?

How can Canada attract the capital required for major infrastructure?

And for British Columbia, there is an additional question:

What does a major new energy export connection through southern B.C. mean for the Lower Mainland and the communities along the proposed corridor?

Those questions will become increasingly important as the project moves through the next stage.

The bottom line

The Pacific Link Pipeline has now received Canada's Project of National Interest designation and entered a more coordinated federal review process.

It is a proposed 1,250-kilometre pipeline, designed to transport approximately one million barrels of oil per day from Alberta to an export terminal near Delta, B.C.

But today's announcement is not construction approval.

The next year will be critical as governments, regulators, Indigenous communities, industry and other stakeholders work through the project's environmental, economic, regulatory and infrastructure requirements.

For Alberta, British Columbia and Canada as a whole, Pacific Link is a development worth watching.

The next major milestone is September 1, 2027

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