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West Coast oil pipeline becomes 1st project designated in national interest
The 1,250-kilometre line could carry 1 million barrels a day and is expected to add $20 billion in annual GDP, officials said.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced the Pacific Link pipeline as the first project designated of national interest under the Building Canada Act in Fort McMurray.
Spanning 1,250 kilometres, the project transports one million barrels of crude oil daily from Bruderheim, Alta., to Delta, B.C., involving Trans Mountain Corp., Alberta, and Pembina Pipeline Corporation at a cost between $35.2 billion and $43.7 billion.
Offering Indigenous communities a minimum of 10 per cent ownership interest, the project is projected to boost Canada's GDP by up to $30 billion annually while creating up to 140,000 jobs.
Listing the project on Schedule One of the Building Canada Act shifts federal focus from feasibility assessment to construction planning, with conditions to be finalized by September 1, 2027.
By diversifying exports away from the U.S., Canada expects an additional $10 billion in annual revenues as it accesses higher-priced international markets; Carney called this an "important day for Alberta and for Canada.