Energy and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson says Alberta and British Columbia will need to find common ground if Alberta’s proposed pipeline to the West Coast is to move forward, warning that support from both the province it would cross and affected First Nations is essential.Alberta’s plan to push forward with a new bitumen pipeline to the West Coast is already facing opposition from neighbouring British Columbia and Indigenous communities.Premier Danielle Smith announced earlier this month that her government intends to pursue a pipeline route across northern B.C. to the Pacific Ocean. She has indicated that a formal application will be submitted to the federal Major Projects Office (MPO) in spring 2026, with the expectation that a private-sector company will take over development once initial approvals are in place..Hodgson told senators Thursday that Alberta will not be able to move forward without the cooperation of the B.C. government and affected First Nations.“To build, you need support of the jurisdiction you build through and you need the support of First Nations,” Hodgson said. “The proponent, in this case the province of Alberta, needs to attract that support if they want to build.”B.C. Premier David Eby has rejected the idea, calling it premature and damaging to the credibility of other major projects along the coast. Eby criticized Smith for promoting what he described as a “fictional pipeline,” while Smith has accused Eby of being “un-Canadian” for opposing it..Legally, however, interprovincial pipelines fall under federal jurisdiction, leaving B.C. with no formal authority to block the project.Opposition is also coming from First Nations on B.C.’s North Coast. The president of a regional organization representing coastal Indigenous communities said they would not support a new bitumen pipeline “now or ever.”Hodgson said Ottawa would play a “constructive” role in talks between Alberta and B.C., but emphasized the project remains at an early stage. “Alberta has some work to do … until they bring their proposal in 2026, it’s a hypothetical question,” he said..Prime Minister Mark Carney has met with Smith several times in recent months. Smith has framed the pipeline proposal as a “test of whether Canada works as a country.”The MPO, established by Carney’s government to accelerate so-called nation-building projects, could take several months to decide whether the proposal meets its criteria. Dawn Farrell, CEO of the MPO, told MPs Thursday she would aim to make a decision within four to five months after Alberta’s submission.Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said that timeline was too long, arguing the project should be approved immediately. “The federal government and Mark Carney need to do only one thing to make it happen — get out of the way,” Poilievre said.
