Carney Fast-Tracks Pacific Pipeline in Bid to Reduce Canada-US Dependence

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that he has fast-tracked the Pacific Link pipeline project, which could reduce Canada's dependence on the US and mend relations with oil-rich Alberta. The proposed pipeline would carry one million barrels of oil per day from Bruderheim, Alberta to a deep water port near Delta, British Columbia.

The announcement comes as President Donald Trump's trade war and threats against Canadian sovereignty push Carney to reduce Canada's longstanding economic dependence on the US. Carney said that Canada had a 'once-in-a-generation opportunity to become an energy superpower' and end its reliance on a single trading partner.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, who is pushing for Alberta to stay in Canada, welcomed the announcement, saying it demonstrated how 'cooperative federalism can work in action.' However, University of Calgary political science professor Ian Brodie noted that the project could still help separatists by underscoring Alberta's dependence on Ottawa.

The Pacific Link pipeline is expected to cost between $25 billion and $31 billion, but significant questions remain about its financing and whether producers will commit to using it. The federal and Alberta governments are contributing roughly $2.8 billion before the main private investor, Pembina Pipeline Corp., decides whether to invest.