Canada has officially listed a 1 million b/d bitumen pipeline to the West Coast — now named Pacific Link — as a project of national interest under the Building Canada Act, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced in Fort McMurray.

The designation sets a September 1, 2027 deadline for the Major Projects Office, supported by the Canada Energy Regulator, to finalise project conditions — covering ownership, benefits, environmental protections, local hiring and oversight — which the government said clears the way to "get shovels in the ground."

Ottawa and Alberta will hold equal ownership of the project, with a meaningful stake reserved for Indigenous peoples, under a partnership announced in July and anchored in an MOU signed last November between Carney and Premier Danielle Smith.

What the numbers say

The pipeline would allow Canada to export an additional 1 million b/d to growing markets in Asia. Today, 90% of Alberta's oil goes to the United States — a dependence Carney said Pacific Link will materially reduce.

Government figures attached to the announcement include:

• 140,000 jobs across the country over the project's life
• More than $20 billion in GDP per year
• $100 billion in government revenue by 2060
• A goal to double Canada's non-U.S. exports over the next decade

The announcement comes as the Athabasca region ships more than 3.5 million b/d and returns more than $40 billion annually to the Canadian economy, according to the Prime Minister's Office.

Pathways CCS named a prerequisite

Carney framed the proposed Pathways carbon capture and storage project — one of the largest in the world — as a condition for the pipeline. Canada, Alberta and the Oil Sands Alliance will advance construction of Pathways, which would use absorption towers to capture CO₂ before it enters the atmosphere, then transport and permanently store it underground.

Government estimates put Pathways' impact at 16 million tonnes of emissions reduced every year — the equivalent, Carney said, of taking 90% of Alberta's cars off the road. The project would create an additional 40,000 jobs and more than $16 billion in GDP, according to the announcement.

Roberts Bank and the marine route

The federal government is investing $10 billion to expand the Pacific Gateway, including Roberts Bank Terminal, which will serve as the landing point for crude moving through Pacific Link. Ottawa is working with British Columbia on the expansion.

Pacific Link will follow a southern route, which Carney said protects British Columbia's North Coast and avoids highly sensitive ecosystems including the Great Bear Sea. Construction at Roberts Bank will include measures to protect killer whale habitats, he said.

How the Building Canada Act listing works

Under the Building Canada Act, passed after Carney's government took office, the federal government can streamline approvals for major projects deemed in the national interest. The listing decision follows a test of five factors:

• Whether the project strengthens Canada's autonomy, resilience and security
• Whether it has clear economic benefits for Canadians
• Whether it has a high likelihood of completion
• Whether it contributes to clean growth and climate goals
• Whether it advances the interests of Indigenous Peoples

Over the past three months, the Major Projects Office received more than 100 submissions from Indigenous rightsholders and consulted more than 130 Indigenous communities near or along potential routes in Alberta and British Columbia, as well as federal departments and the B.C. government.

Carney contrasted the process with the pre-reform regime, under which proponents "would have to spend years and potentially billions of dollars" on development work before knowing Ottawa's position. "Now, the federal government is making its position clear at the beginning of the process, rather than at the end," he said.

Indigenous equity and workforce

Canada, Alberta and the project proponent will offer Indigenous communities a minimum 10% ownership interest in the pipeline, financed through the two governments' Indigenous Loan Guarantee Programs, with Indigenous contracting and employment commitments attached.

The Team Canada Strong initiative will create up to 100,000 apprenticeships in specialised trades — pipefitters, welders and steamfitters — with unions training many of the workers. The project will prefer Canadian materials, including Canadian steel.

Opposition demands detail

The Conservative Official Opposition dismissed the announcement as insufficient. Michelle Rempel Garner, speaking before Carney's statement, said: "A year and a half into Prime Minister Carney's tenure, we've had two signing ceremonies, countless media stories, and no pipelines built."

She called for repeal of what she termed anti-investment laws, including C-48, and said: "Conservatives will push for details on construction, the timeline, costs, and how and when Mark Carney will ensure completion." Her remark that repealing C-48 would allow more oil to be shipped by rail reflects her party's position, not a settled policy outcome.

Watch items

The dates that matter now: the Major Projects Office must finalise project conditions by September 1, 2027, with proponents developing route mapping, ecological surveys, cost estimates, procurement and workforce planning over the next year. No capital cost estimate, final route or capacity beyond the 1 million b/d export figure accompanied the announcement. The pace of Pathways CCS sanctioning — named a prerequisite — will shape the pipeline's timeline.