OTTAWA — Alberta Indigenous Affairs Minister Rajan Sawhney says vocal opposition from some Indigenous groups won’t affect her government’s timeline for proposing a new West Coast pipeline to Ottawa by mid-2026. But the province agreed to a memorandum of understanding with Ottawa on a new oil pipeline to the West Coast in November, and aims to have one added to the list of federally backed major projects. “It’s 50/50 right now, between support and what I’m going to call concern,” Sawhney said. The endorsement of a new West Coast pipeline by the Major Projects Office would start a two-year clock toward the project’s final approval. Prime Minister Mark Carney has said that projects fast-tracked by the new office must advance Canadian and Indigenous economic interests.

Source: National Post January 03, 2026 09:32 UTC