According to sources in the federal government, Ottawa is targeting a new route for a West Coast pipeline through Southern British Columbia.A recent article by the Globe and Mail says that the new route is being proposed as an easier alternative to the northern route, which has gained criticism from the B.C. government and local First Nations bands who highlight the potential environmental impact of a pipeline.Multiple federal sources have said that Ottawa is now eyeing a pipeline that goes to the port of Vancouver, rather than the initial plan, which was to put the pipeline terminus in Northern B.C.After the signing of the memorandum of understanding between the federal government and Alberta in November, the Carney government is seemingly eager to get shovels in the ground to pump Canadian oil to the West Coast.The MOU laid out the conditions for the construction of a new pipeline to the Pacific but didn't specify what port might be used to ship this oil..A new pipeline to the West Coast would be able to ship an extra million barrels of oil a day from B.C. to markets in Asia.This new route would most likely follow the route of the already established Trans Mountain Pipeline, but there are no concrete plans for the route, either north or south, as of right now.The Northern Route to the Port of Prince Rupert would be the preferred route from an Albertan point of view, as the northern port is about 36 hours closer to China from a shipping perspective.Premier of Alberta Danielle Smith has previously expressed concern regarding the potential capacity at the Port of Vancouver but has not ruled out a southern route if the northern one proves to be too politically cumbersome.With B.C. Premier David Eby continuing to reject any pipeline through Northern B.C., it appears that a Southern route might be the easiest alternative for all parties involved.Regardless of which route the pipeline takes, massive upgrades to port infrastructure would have to be made at either location to accommodate oil tankers.
