Pacific Link Gets National Interest Designation

The proposed Pacific Link pipeline is moving forward under Ottawa’s new process for accelerating major infrastructure projects.

Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced Oct. 1 that Pacific Link had been designated a project of national interest under the Building Canada Act. It is the first project to receive the designation.

The proposed 1,200-kilometre pipeline would run from the Bruderheim area in Alberta to a marine terminal near Delta, B.C. Once complete, it is expected to carry an additional one million barrels of oil per day, providing Alberta producers with greater access to Asian markets.

The project is being pitched in part as a way to reduce Canada’s dependence on the United States as an energy customer. About 90 per cent of Alberta oil currently heads south of the border.

The designation puts Pacific Link into an accelerated federal approval process. Project conditions are expected to be established by September 2027, with the pipeline currently projected to be completed in 2032 or 2033.

Ottawa and Alberta are expected to take significant ownership positions during the development stage, while Indigenous communities would be offered an opportunity to acquire equity in the project. Private-sector investment is also expected.

Federal estimates suggest construction could generate more than 140,000 jobs at its peak and involve between $70 billion and $80 billion in investment.

The announcement has been welcomed by Alberta and Canadian business organizations, while the federal NDP and environmental groups have criticized the project over its potential environmental and financial costs. Some Indigenous representatives have also questioned the consultation process and proposed ownership structure.

Pacific Link will now provide an early look at whether Ottawa’s new major-projects system can translate a national interest designation into a completed project.