Premiers Smith, Ford unveil proposed west-east oil pipeline route

CALGARY — Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Ontario Premier Doug Ford unveiled Monday a route for a proposed west-east oil pipeline.

The two premiers say it would stretch 3,300 kilometres from Hardisty, Alta., to refineries in Sarnia, Ont., without crossing the U.S. border.

They made the announcement at the Calgary Stampede after the two leaders were up bright and early flipping pancakes at Smith’s annual premier’s breakfast.

An Ontario government brochure says the line, referred to as the Northern Shield Energy Corridor, would move 500,000 barrels of crude per day and help reduce Canada’s need to import refined oil. It could be expanded to handle 800,000 barrels per day, the brochure says.

“It’s a win-win-win,” said Ford. “A win for Ontario, a win for Alberta and a win for all of Canada.”

The proposed pipeline stems from an agreement Ford and Smith made at last year’s Stampede to study an energy corridor connecting the two provinces.

Ford said that study is ongoing and is expected to be finished before the end of the year. He said an estimated cost and proposed building schedule for the pipeline would be determined as part of the study.

Smith said that while the pipeline, if built, would allow for Alberta oil to be refined and used within Canada, it would also open the door to European markets.

“This pipeline is another signal to investors that Canada is once again open for business and the best country on Earth from which to secure a reliable source of energy,” she said.

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe, who also attended Smith’s breakfast, said in a news release that the proposal has his support and would generate revenue needed to invest in health care, education and public safety.

Asked about whether the project has the support of Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew, Ford said he’s confident they would “work something out.”

“I think the world of Premier Kinew,” Ford said, adding that building a pipeline to Sarnia would open the opportunity for another line to the Port of Churchill in northern Manitoba.

A spokesperson for Kinew didn’t address questions about the pipeline proposal on Monday, but said the government was discussing the Port of Churchill’s future with First Nations, northern communities and the Manitoba Crown Indigenous Corporation.

“Major nation-building projects have to be built the right way,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

A proposal to expand and upgrade infrastructure at the Hudson Bay port at Churchill was referred last year to Ottawa’s major projects office by Prime Minister Mark Carney. Carney has said he wants to see liquefied natural gas shipping out of the port by 2030, and Kinew has said he doesn’t want Manitoba to miss out on economic benefits that the upgrades would bring.

Monday’s pipeline announcement came days after Smith proposed another new pipeline route from her province to the British Columbia coast, which would move one million barrels per day or more.

That pipeline is at the heart of an energy deal Smith signed with Carney, and Ottawa is expected to decide by October whether it will be fast-tracked through the federal review process.

“Pipelines have gone from impossible to a national imperative,” Smith said Monday.

“Alberta’s oilsands have gone from a target to a national treasure, and we’re launching the greatest expansion of oil and gas infrastructure and production in decades.”

Ford said Monday that he would be working “hand-in-hand” with Ottawa’s major projects office on the pipeline but didn’t say exactly when he expected the planning to be far enough along for potential fast-tracking through the permitting process.

Both the proposed line to the West Coast and the one to Sarnia are without major private backers. Pembina Pipeline currently holds a 10 per cent stake in the B.C. project, with the federally owned Trans Mountain Corp. and the Alberta government controlling the rest.

Smith said last week that ownership figures could change for the West Coast pipeline as the project progresses. She has also touted the potential revenue the line would create even if it’s financed mainly through public funds.

Ford said private sector engagement for the Ontario project is being done as part of the feasibility study. He also said public financing is being looked at.

“I think it is a great investment no matter if it is the government that will get a good (return on investment) over a certain period of time,” Ford said.

“It’s going to benefit everyone. It’s going benefit Ontarians, Albertans and most importantly everyone from coast to coast to coast.”

Having potentially two multibillion-dollar pipelines paid for out of the public purse led to criticism from at least one environmental group on Monday.

“Why don’t we cut out the middleman and just have Canadians send their tax dollars directly to ExxonMobil?” said Keith Stewart with Greenpeace Canada.

“There is no private sector proponent for these pipelines because there is no business case in a world where electric vehicles and heat pumps powered by wind and solar energy are cheaper, cleaner and faster to deploy than the fossil fuel mega-projects that are fuelling heat waves and wildfires.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 6, 2026.

— By Jack Farrell in Edmonton. With files from Ian Bickis in Winnipeg.

The Canadian Press