Carney set to make West Coast pipeline announcement in Fort McMurray
- Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith are in Fort McMurray to announce a major decision regarding the proposed West Coast pipeline.
- The announcement coincides with the October 1 deadline for the pipeline to be designated a national interest project, which would expedite its regulatory approval.
- The pipeline is planned to transport up to one million barrels of crude oil daily from Alberta to British Columbia’s coast and is expected to create 150,000 jobs.
- The timing of the announcement aims to support federalism ahead of an upcoming Alberta referendum on separating from Canada.
OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney is in Fort McMurray, Alta. with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith on Thursday to make a major announcement about the proposed West Coast pipeline.
The announcement comes on Oct. 1, the deadline for the project to be designated a project in the national interest, which would fast-track the pipeline’s regulatory journey. The pipeline is expected to carry up to a million barrels of crude from Alberta to B.C.’s coast.
The government says the pipeline will create 150,000 jobs and, with the announcement coming less than three weeks before an Alberta referendum about separating from Canada, Carney and Smith are hoping it helps make the case for federalism.
Carney and Smith are set to speak at 11 a.m. ET.
More to come.
National Post