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Ottawa and Alberta Near Energy Accord as B.C. Objects to Possible North Coast Pipeline

The real stakes lie in setting credible industrial carbon‑pricing rules that could unlock investment decisions.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith speaks at a press conference in Calgary on November 14, 2025.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith holds a press conference on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025. The prospect of Alberta holding a referendum to leave Canada triggered a wave of clickbait stories on video-sharing sites earlier this year. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
Prime Minister Mark Carney is seen with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith at the start of a meeting in Ottawa, Monday, Oct. 6, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
The Alberta and federal governments have come to an agreement about the construction of a new pipeline to the West Coast, writes columnist Rick Bell. Workers are seen here assembling an Enbridge pipeline to Hardisty, southeast of New Sarepta, Sept. 29, 2014.

Overview

  • Prime Minister Mark Carney and Premier Danielle Smith are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding as early as Thursday, though the date could shift, according to a federal source.
  • The draft is expected to reference a path toward a potential pipeline to B.C.’s northwest coast, with Ottawa considering limited exemptions to the northern tanker moratorium or use of its C‑5 authorities.
  • B.C. Premier David Eby denounced what he called secret talks and the prospect of weakening the tanker ban, while Smith urged a "Team Canada" posture and said an agreement could come within weeks.
  • No route, private proponent or firm industry commitments exist for a northwest pipeline; Alberta plans to submit an application to the federal Major Projects Office and any project would require Indigenous consultation.
  • The B.C. government now supports increasing Trans Mountain capacity by roughly 40 percent as a nearer‑term option, as federal‑provincial bargaining also weighs changes to industrial carbon pricing and a potential retreat from a federal emissions cap.