ProjectOilGoes tidewater

Pacific Link (West Coast oil pipeline)

Proposed pipeline of about 1,250 km, now called Pacific Link, that would carry about one million barrels a day of crude oil, mainly diluted bitumen, from Bruderheim, Alberta, to a deepwater port outside Delta, BC, largely along the Trans Mountain corridor, for export mainly to Asia. Canada and Alberta are to own equal shares, Pembina Pipeline is the private investor, Trans Mountain Corporation leads development, and Indigenous communities are to be offered at least 10% ownership, financed with loan guarantees. The estimated cost is $35.2 billion to $43.7 billion. Referred to the federal Major Projects Office on July 2, 2026, it was listed on October 1, 2026 as the first project of national interest under Schedule 1 of the Building Canada Act; the Major Projects Office is to finalize its conditions by September 1, 2027. There is no final investment decision; construction could start as early as 2027, with oil flowing by 2034.

Status: Listed as a national-interest project
Direction: Tidewater: Reaches a coast, so Canada can sell to buyers other than the US.
Capacity: 1,000 kb/d
Where: Alberta / British Columbia
In service: 2034
Needs new laws?: Yes: part of the second wave, waiting on fast-track laws

Articles that cite this record

Owners

Pembina Pipeline (10%) as of 27 September 2026
Major Projects Office (Government of Canada), “West Coast Oil Pipeline - Major Projects Office” (external site), 13 July 2026. source record
Trans Mountain Corporation (federal Crown) (45%) as of 27 September 2026
Major Projects Office (Government of Canada), “West Coast Oil Pipeline - Major Projects Office” (external site), 13 July 2026. source record
Alberta Petroleum Marketing Commission (45%) as of 27 September 2026
Major Projects Office (Government of Canada), “West Coast Oil Pipeline - Major Projects Office” (external site), 13 July 2026. source record

Events

1 December 2026Canada–BC Cooperative Prosperity Agreement: Annex A deadline for the first set of deliverablesDocumentAgreementBritish Columbia1 source
8 October 2026Cold Lake First Nations files for judicial review in Federal Court of the Pacific Link national-interest designationActionCourt rulingCanada6 sources
2 October 2026Washington Governor Ferguson and the state Ecology director criticize Canada's Pacific Link listing over Salish Sea tanker trafficStatementStatementUS-WA2 sources
1 October 2026Carney lists the West Coast oil pipeline, renamed Pacific Link, as the first project of national interest under Schedule 1 of the Building Canada ActActionRegulationCanada6 sources
1 October 2026Union of BC Indian Chiefs rejects the Pacific Link listing and says it will be fought in court and, if necessary, on the groundStatementStatementBritish Columbia3 sources
1 October 2026Coldwater Indian Band says it is considering legal or other action against Pacific LinkCaution: second-hand accountStatementStatementBritish Columbia2 sources
1 October 2026Assembly of First Nations: the Pacific Link decision came 'only 12 days after the consultation deadline'; chiefs splitStatementStatementCanada1 source
1 October 2026Ecojustice, Équiterre, Environmental Defence, Greenpeace and the Pembina Institute criticize the Pacific Link listing; no lawsuit announcedStatementStatementCanada3 sources
22 September 2026British Columbia snap election called for 2026-10-24, two years earlyActionElectionBritish Columbia3 sources
22 September 2026AFN National Chief Woodhouse Nepinak warns Carney against 'abusing' his majority to pass C-39 and against rushing the West Coast pipelineStatementStatementCanada3 sources
4 August 2026Ottawa moves to list the Alberta-backed West Coast oil pipeline as a national-interest project; Alberta is the proponent and Pembina holds 10%StatementStatementAlberta1 source
1 August 2026Canada Gazette notice says Ottawa may list the West Coast Oil Pipeline as a national interest project under the Building Canada ActDocumentRegulationCanada5 sources
21 July 2026BC Conservatives criticize the southern pipeline route through Delta farmland, and Findlay blames Eby for blocking the northern routeStatementStatementBritish Columbia1 source
6 July 2026West Coast oil pipeline: Tsawwassen First Nation says it was not consulted; project report lists 85 BC Indigenous communities for engagementStatementStatementBritish Columbia1 source
2 July 2026Canada refers Alberta's West Coast oil pipeline to the Major Projects Office and signs the Pathways agreement with Alberta and oil sands firmsDocumentAgreementCanada8 sources
2 July 2026Carney and Eby sign the Canada–British Columbia Cooperative Prosperity Agreement in VancouverDocumentAgreementBritish Columbia6 sources
19 May 2026Stubbs: 'still no private sector proponent ... no selected route(s), no federal Indigenous consultation, and no permits' for a Pacific pipelineStatementStatementCanada1 source
15 May 2026Canada and Alberta conclude an implementation agreement for their November 2025 energy and pipeline memorandum of understandingDocumentAgreementCanada1 source
15 May 2026Poilievre on the Ottawa–Alberta energy deal: Conservatives want 'a pipeline without a carbon tax, not a carbon tax without a pipeline'StatementStatementCanada1 source
4 May 2026Eby says he doesn't understand why Ottawa keeps pushing a new Alberta oil pipeline, and criticizes the exclusion of softwood lumber from federal tariff reliefStatementStatementBritish Columbia1 source
22 April 2026Haida, Gitga'at, Kitasoo Xai'xais and Heiltsuk nations warn pipeline companies of the 'legal and financial risks' of backing a northwest B.C. crude oil pipelineCaution: self-reportedStatementStatementBritish Columbia1 source
21 April 2026BC Energy Minister Adrian Dix calls reports of federal interest in a southern oil pipeline route a 'positive evolution' but remains waryStatementStatementBritish Columbia1 source
1 January 2026Alberta awards a C$360,000 sole-source contract for advice on its West Coast oil pipeline strategyActionContractAlberta1 source
9 December 2025Commons defeats Conservative motion backing a West Coast pipeline in the Canada–Alberta MOU's wording; only Conservatives vote yesActionLegislationCanada5 sources
December 2025Poilievre: 'Of course I would consult … but we are going to build a pipeline when I am prime minister'StatementStatementCanada1 source
27 November 2025Canada–Alberta MOU sets a path to a bitumen pipeline of at least 1 million barrels a day to Asian markets, adjusting the tanker ban if necessaryDocumentAgreementCanada2 sources
27 November 2025Poilievre on the Canada–Alberta MOU: a Conservative government 'would approve a pipeline to the Pacific without a carbon tax, without delay, without excuses'StatementStatementCanada2 sources

Corrections to this record

2 October 2026New evidenceUpdate
Listed on 2026-10-01 as the first project of national interest under Schedule 1 of the Building Canada Act and renamed Pacific Link (Prime Minister's Office release, 2026-10-01); Listed on 2026-10-01 as the first project of national interest under Schedule 1 of the Building Canada Act; conditions due by 2027-09-01, no final investment decision (Prime Minister's Office release, 2026-10-01)
Name
was~~West Coast Oil Pipeline (to Roberts Bank)~~ nowPacific Link (West Coast oil pipeline)
Name fr
was~~Pipeline de la côte Ouest (vers Roberts Bank)~~ nowPacific Link (pipeline de la côte Ouest)
Summary
wasProposed pipeline of up to about 1,250 km that would carry one million barrels a day of crude oil, mainly diluted bitumen, from Bruderheim, Alberta, to a deepwater port near Delta, BC, largely along the Trans Mountain corridor, for export mainly to Asia. Alberta is the proponent: Pembina Pipeline would hold 10% during construction (up to 20% once it operates), Trans Mountain Corporation and the Alberta Petroleum Marketing Commission would split the rest, and Indigenous equity is on offer; the estimated cost is $35.2 billion to $43.7 billion. Canada and Alberta referred it to the federal Major Projects Office on July 2, 2026, and an August 1, 2026 Canada Gazette notice proposed listing it as a project of national interest, with a decision targeted by October 1, 2026. There is no final investment decision; construction could start as early as 2027, with oil flowing by 2034. nowProposed pipeline of about 1,250 km, now called Pacific Link, that would carry about one million barrels a day of crude oil, mainly diluted bitumen, from Bruderheim, Alberta, to a deepwater port outside Delta, BC, largely along the Trans Mountain corridor, for export mainly to Asia. Canada and Alberta are to own equal shares, Pembina Pipeline is the private investor, Trans Mountain Corporation leads development, and Indigenous communities are to be offered at least 10% ownership, financed with loan guarantees. The estimated cost is $35.2 billion to $43.7 billion. Referred to the federal Major Projects Office on July 2, 2026, it was listed on October 1, 2026 as the first project of national interest under Schedule 1 of the Building Canada Act; the Major Projects Office is to finalize its conditions by September 1, 2027. There is no final investment decision; construction could start as early as 2027, with oil flowing by 2034.
Summary fr
wasProjet de pipeline d'au plus 1 250 km environ qui transporterait un million de barils par jour de pétrole brut, surtout du bitume dilué, de Bruderheim, en Alberta, jusqu'à un port en eau profonde près de Delta, en Colombie-Britannique, en grande partie le long du corridor de Trans Mountain, pour l'exportation surtout vers l'Asie. L'Alberta en est le promoteur : Pembina Pipeline détiendrait 10 % pendant la construction (jusqu'à 20 % une fois le pipeline en service), la Corporation Trans Mountain et l'Alberta Petroleum Marketing Commission se partageraient le reste, et une participation est offerte aux Autochtones; le coût est estimé entre 35,2 et 43,7 milliards de dollars. Le Canada et l'Alberta l'ont soumis au Bureau des grands projets fédéral le 2 juillet 2026, et un avis publié dans la Gazette du Canada le 1er août 2026 a proposé de l'inscrire comme projet d'intérêt national, avec une décision visée au plus tard le 1er octobre 2026. Aucune décision finale d'investissement n'a été prise; la construction pourrait commencer dès 2027, et le pétrole circuler d'ici 2034. nowProjet de pipeline d'environ 1 250 km, désormais appelé Pacific Link, qui transporterait environ un million de barils par jour de pétrole brut, surtout du bitume dilué, de Bruderheim, en Alberta, jusqu'à un port en eau profonde près de Delta, en Colombie-Britannique, en grande partie le long du corridor de Trans Mountain, pour l'exportation surtout vers l'Asie. Le Canada et l'Alberta en détiendraient des parts égales, Pembina Pipeline en est l'investisseur privé, la Corporation Trans Mountain dirige le développement, et une participation d'au moins 10 % serait offerte aux communautés autochtones, financée par des garanties de prêt. Le coût est estimé entre 35,2 et 43,7 milliards de dollars. Soumis au Bureau des grands projets fédéral le 2 juillet 2026, il a été inscrit le 1er octobre 2026 comme premier projet d'intérêt national à l'annexe 1 de la Loi visant à bâtir le Canada; le Bureau des grands projets doit en arrêter les conditions d'ici le 1er septembre 2027. Aucune décision finale d'investissement n'a été prise; la construction pourrait commencer dès 2027, et le pétrole circuler d'ici 2034.
Status
was~~Referred for fast-tracking~~ nowListed as a national-interest project