No oil pipeline on the list of projects of national interest

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google.

A Liberal source told Radio-Canada that the lack of an oil pipeline on the initial list of national projects does not mean the ...

Skip to main News Finance More Mail Search the web Advertisement Advertisement Return to Homepage No oil pipeline on the list of projects of national interest CBC Wed, September 10, 2025 at 11:57 a.m.

UTC 4 min read Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google.

A Liberal source told Radio-Canada that the lack of an oil pipeline on the initial list of national projects does not mean the Liberal government is opposed to the idea or that one will not be built.

(Alex Panetta/The Canadian Press - image credit) As Prime Minister Mark Carney's government prepares to announce the first projects of national interest it has selected, Radio-Canada has learned that no oil pipeline is on the list, according to three sources.

"There is no [oil] pipeline project on the table," one of them said, despite the federal government's promise to make Canada an "energy superpower." Carney has never ruled out the idea of supporting the construction of a new pipeline.

"We have to choose a few major projects, not necessarily pipelines, but maybe pipelines: we'll see," he said on the French-language TV show, Tout le monde en parle , during the election campaign.

The prime minister emphasized the importance of reaching a consensus with the provinces.

Behind the scenes, a Liberal source insisted that the absence of a pipeline on the initial list does not mean that one will never happen.

Approval of a natural gas pipeline project is also not out of the question.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has consistently said she wants an oil pipeline among the first projects approved by Ottawa.

She particularly dreams of a pipeline that would connect the oilsands to northern British Columbia.

Radio-Canada reported Smith and her federal counterpart discussed pipelines earlier this summer.

Carney was clear: the involvement of a private developer was essential for a project to move forward.

So far, no company has expressed interest in financing or carrying out such a project.

Smith's office blames the current regulatory environment for hampering pipeline development.

The "emissions cap for the oil and gas sector" and the "tanker moratorium" off the northern coast of British Columbia are examples cited by the Alberta government in a written statement sent to Radio-Canada.

"Until these policies are changed, modified, or reversed, we will not attract the capital to keep our energy industry competitive and growing globally," it reads.

The Alberta premier says she wants to wait for the official announcement of the list before commenting on it.

But last May, just after the federal election, Smith sent a letter to Carney in which she issued an unequivocal warning.