Alberta and Ontario Propose $5-Billion Northern Shield Pipeline Project
A major oil pipeline project has been proposed by Alberta and Ontario to connect the two provinces without crossing the United States. The Northern Shield Energy Corridor would span 2,050 miles from Hardisty, Alberta to Sarnia, Ontario, carrying up to 800,000 barrels of crude per day.
The project aims to strengthen Canadian energy security and export capacity, with Premier Danielle Smith calling pipelines a 'national imperative' and Ontario's Premier Doug Ford describing it as a 'win-win-win'. However, the feasibility study is expected to finish by the end of 2026, and no total cost, final schedule, or major private-sector proponent has been announced.
The pipeline would be an all-Canadian alternative to the existing Enbridge Mainline, which carries oil through the U.S. Midwest before re-entering Canada at Sarnia. The project's business case depends on more than replacing imported oil and requires new or expanded refineries, storage, exports, or onward pipeline connections.