British Columbia Premier David Eby says he’s not onside with a new pipeline across the North. He doesn’t have to be. Under Canada’s Constitution, pipelines that cross boundaries fall under federal jurisdiction. That’s not a talking point. It’s the law. Section 92(10)(a) and (b) put interprovincial and international “works and undertakings” in Ottawa’s domain. The Canada Energy Regulator (CER) enforces that framework today. If a line crosses a boundary, it’s federal.The Supreme Court has also told Victoria it can’t use environmental law to choke a federally regulated pipeline. In 2020, the Court rejected BC’s attempt to require “hazardous substance” permits aimed at heavy oil, with the Trans Mountain pipeline as the obvious target. .PINDER: The dangerous myth of carbon dioxide.The justices said the scheme was unconstitutional because it would “in substance” regulate a federal work. That precedent matters today. Eby can dislike a project. But he can’t veto it.Even BC’s own regulator acknowledges the line of authority. Inside BC, it oversees intraprovincial pipes. But once a line crosses a boundary, the CER takes over. That’s not politics. That’s the law.So where does that leave Ottawa? Right now, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson is ducking the federal government’s responsibility to assist in building a new pipeline. .Telling Alberta to first “get support of the jurisdiction you build through” shifts responsibility to Eby, as if the Constitution is optional. It isn’t. The minister’s job is to steward federal jurisdiction — especially when a project serves the national interest. Offloading that duty to Victoria isn’t leadership. It’s abdication.Meanwhile, the Major Projects Office (MPO) was created to speed up nation-building projects. The MPO was pitched as a single window to reduce timelines to “at most two years” and help coordinate financing. If that’s real, the MPO should be clarifying process and asserting federal authority, not letting local politics stall a file before it starts. This matters far beyond Alberta. Most of Canada’s crude still moves to one customer — the United States. In 2023, about 96% of our oil exports went south. That’s a vulnerability. .BURTON: Alberta’s failing classrooms: The decline of education goes far beyond funding.When Washington slaps on tariffs or tweaks policy, our workers and public revenues feel it first. Getting more Canadian barrels to tidewater for global buyers isn’t a partisan wish. It’s common sense.Eby’s public “no thanks” signals that BC politics trump national purpose. That posture doesn’t just slight Alberta. It undercuts workers in Saskatchewan and the rest of the Prairies who supply, service, and finance the energy economy. It also sends a chill to indigenous communities that want equity stakes, jobs, and own-source revenues from responsible development. Social licence is built, not assumed. It starts by engaging communities early, offering real ownership, and delivering world-class safety. The CER’s federal regime is designed for that, including the duty to consult and rigorous conditions — applied consistently, not politically..Calling this a “test of whether Canada works as a country” isn’t hyperbole. It’s a reminder. The Constitution assigns roles so national projects don’t die in local crossfire. If Ottawa won’t use its authority, we drift into a veto-by-press-conference culture. Investors read that as risk. Jobs and tax revenue go elsewhere to safer investment jurisdictions.A conservative view doesn’t deny environmental duty. It insists on honest trade-offs and a rules-based path. On pipelines, the rules are settled: interprovincial equals federal. Ottawa should say so and act accordingly. .HORTON: Separate the art from the artist or don’t go.The MPO should map a clear, time-bound process. Eby is welcome to advocate for BC’s interests, but he doesn’t get a pocket veto.If the energy minister won’t defend federal jurisdiction, he’s giving Eby power he doesn’t have. That’s not “Team Canada.” It’s anti-Canadian, because it keeps western energy landlocked and Canada weaker on the world stage. The fix is simple: follow the law, respect engagement with indigenous partners and local communities, and get on with building the infrastructure an exporting nation needs.
