Overview
- Speaking at the Canadian Club Toronto, Prime Minister Mark Carney told a business audience his government is “on the pipeline stuff” and said “Don’t worry, it’s going to happen,” before qualifying that “something’s going to happen.”
- Carney characterized new pipelines as “so boring” and argued data centres and “intelligence infrastructure” would have a larger impact on Canada’s productivity.
- He said the federal Major Projects Office is moving to accelerate approvals and is in discussions with Alberta on proposals, adding that existing federal laws do not need to change to advance major projects.
- Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said she is working with Ottawa on a memorandum of understanding to advance a West Coast bitumen pipeline and the Pathways Alliance carbon capture project, signaling she hopes to provide an update next week.
- B.C. Premier David Eby and coastal First Nations leaders urged Ottawa to uphold the Oil Tanker Moratorium Act, while the federal natural resources minister said any West Coast pipeline would require support from B.C. and affected First Nations and remains hypothetical without a project proponent.