Varcoe: As Oct. 1 deadline nears, premier expects West Coast pipeline to be deemed a nation-building project

Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Breadcrumb Trail Links HomeBusinessEnergyPoliticsColumnists Varcoe: As Oct. 1 deadline nears, premier expects West Coast pipeline to be deemed a nation-building project The province's plans for a massive bitumen pipeline to the West Coast have been advancing in recent months, following a series of federal and provincial memorandums of understanding Author of the article: By Chris Varcoe  •  Calgary Herald Published Sep 22, 2026 4 minute read Join the conversation Premier Danielle Smith speaks to media at a Calgary Chamber of Commerce event on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. Brent Calver/Postmedia Article content Premier Danielle Smith remains confident the West Coast pipeline will get a pivotal decision by Oct. 1 from the federal Major Projects Office, one that will determine if the proposal is deemed a development of national importance. Article content Her government is also putting the finishing touches on a new incentive program that aims to trigger more spending to increase oil and gas output in Alberta — production needed to fill the pipeline. Article content Article content Article content During a wide-ranging speech to the Calgary Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday, Alberta’s premier discussed the province’s pipeline aspirations and the importance of new federal rules that will accelerate tax incentives on capital spending and could help the proposed pipeline. Article content FP West: Energy Insider SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE: FP West: Energy Insider brings you behind the oilpatch’s closed doors with exclusive insights from insiders every Wednesday morning. Sign Up By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Article content “We’re closer than ever to a new oil pipeline carrying more than a million barrels a day to the West Coast and on to a fast track to the growing Asia-Pacific markets,” Smith told the business audience. Article content “We’re expecting to have an interim decision, sort of conditional approval by Oct. 1st, with final approval by (next) September.” Article content The province’s plans for a massive bitumen pipeline to the West Coast have been advancing in recent months, following a series of federal and provincial memorandums of understanding. Article content The mega-project will serve as a key signal to oil producers that they can significantly ramp…