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Smith Pushes to 'De‑Risk' West Coast Pipeline as Cities Battle Budgets and Shelter Gaps

Alberta says federal cooperation and a new provincial royalty framework will be used to reduce regulatory uncertainty and attract private investors for the pipeline project.

Ward 14 Coun. Landon Johnston speaks to media outside council chambers at Calgary city hall on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026.
Agropur, with 2,700 members based in Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, is one of the leading suppliers of dairy products in the retail, food-service and industrial sectors in North America.
Production is seen at Nixon Honey Farm east of Innisfail, Alta. The business is just one of many affected by the increase in tariffs with the U.S.
Election sign for Conservative Party candidate Kerry-Lynne Findlay. For the last couple weeks, several MLAs watched as their colleagues defected from the Conservative Party one after another, like a slow-motion car wreck. But they've decided, for better or worse, to stick with their leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay.

Overview

  • Premier Danielle Smith says the province has partnered with Trans Mountain Corporation and Pembina Pipeline and has submitted the West Coast project for federal major‑project review to secure a 'project of national interest' designation and encourage private investment.
  • Smith indicated Ottawa will no longer subject certain new oilsands and gas‑fired electricity projects to Bill C‑69 oversight, a change she says advances Alberta’s memorandum of understanding while she continues legal challenges to expand provincial authority.
  • The province plans to unveil a new royalty framework this fall to signal long‑term returns to investors and to shore up confidence for multi‑decade energy investments.
  • Calgary’s administration has floated very large multi‑year property tax projections that include a 20.2% proposal this budget cycle and further double‑digit increases projected in coming years, prompting calls for spending restraint and CFIB advocacy for a 20% small‑business tax subclass.
  • Edmonton city data show many neighbouring municipalities report zero emergency shelter beds, a shortfall traced to local council closures and cancellations that have concentrated shelter demand and costs in the provincial capital while ongoing Canada–U.S. trade tensions add financial pressure on exporters and municipal coffers.