Opinion: Why Canada's new pipeline proposal threatens the Salish Sea

Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Breadcrumb Trail Links HomeOpinionOp-Ed Opinion: Why Canada's new pipeline proposal threatens the Salish Sea  Margot Venton: A proposed Alberta oil pipeline, Roberts Bank marine terminal expansion and Ottawa's proposal to side step safeguards of the Species at Risk Act could reshape the future of B.C.'s coastal ecosystem Author of the article: By Margot Venton Published Sep 12, 2026 Last updated 10 minutes ago 4 minute read Join the conversation Down to only 73 adults, the survival of Southern Resident killer whales is threatened due to the interconnected problems of declining prey availability, underwater noise from ships, and pollution, writes Margot Venton. PHOTO BY KATHERINE GAVRILCHUK /Department of Fisheries and Ocea Article content It’s been a tumultuous summer in Canada. Heatwaves, floods and fires have swept across Canada and around the world. Many of these extreme weather events, including the European heat waves that claimed an estimated 10,000 lives and the terrifying jökulhlaups (glacial collapse) in Nepal would have been virtually impossible without human-caused climate change. Article content Article content Against this backdrop, Prime Minister Mark Carney remains committed to making Canada an energy superpower. While much of the world is racing toward increasingly affordable renewable energy such as wind and solar, Canada appears determined to run the other way by doubling down on fossil fuels. Article content Article content Sunrise Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. Sign Up By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Article content In recent weeks, three announcements have made that direction unmistakable. Ottawa has proposed sweeping changes to federal environmental law that would gut federal reviews, permitting and oversight of major projects, including pipelines. Alberta has formally proposed a new southern oil pipeline that would largely follow the Trans Mountain route before ending at a new marine terminal at Roberts Bank in Delta. Meanwhile, B.C. and Canada have agreed to billions in public funding toward an expanded trade corridor at Roberts Bank. Article content Plans for another pipeline to tidewater raise obvious questions. Why should taxpayers shoulder the cost? Will another pipeline meaningfully lower…