The Alberta government has considered three different pipeline routes through northern British Columbia for a new major oil export pipeline, according to documents obtained by CBC News which provide a first glimpse into where the project could be located.

Several ports on the northern coast are highlighted as options, according to the documents, which were shown to local community leaders during private consultations on the proposed project this spring.

The provincial government is also exploring the idea of a fourth route through southern B.C. and a port in the Vancouver area.

Until now, the Alberta government has provided few details about its pipeline proposal besides its goal of developing a project to export one million barrels of oil per day with construction to begin as early as 2027.

The documents focus on three specific pipeline paths through northern B.C. One of the routes begins near Fort McMurray and travels west to Fort St. John, ending up near Observatory Inlet, a remote area more than 800 km north of Vancouver and 130 km north of Prince Rupert.

The two other pipeline pathways in the documents begin near Fort Saskatchewan, northeast of Edmonton. After traveling west through the Rocky Mountains, one of the routes extends slightly north before ending at Nasoga Gulf, while the other continues west and splits to connect with the coastal communities of Kitimat and Prince Rupert. The other follows the same path as Enbridge’s failed Northern Gateway route.

The other two ports under consideration, the documents show, are near Stewart and Grassy Point, which are both near the most northern point of B.C.’s coast.

All of the port options shown in the documents are located in the area where tankers are currently prohibited because of the federal oil tanker moratorium.

Alberta could have pursued cheaper options through northern B.C., but the proposed routes seem to go through communities that are more supportive of pipelines and ports, said Heather Exner-Pirot, a special advisor on energy to the Business Council of Canada, after reviewing the maps.

“This is a strategic route for political reasons, not for economic reasons. So it will be a bit more expensive, but they must expect that that will save them time and money on the back end,” she said.

Major Projects Office submission

It is unclear whether one of these routes will be what is eventually chosen by the Alberta government. Several officials involved in the consultations said there have been revisions to the routes. 

In more recent consultations, Alberta government officials and consultants have shown a general corridor on a map where the pipeline could be located, instead of specific routes.

A general corridor could also be part of the Alberta government’s submission to the federal Major Projects Office, a government official said, while a specific route and port would be chosen at a future date.

Smith’s office did not directly respond to a question about whether a corridor or a specific route will be included in the upcoming submission.

“Alberta’s government is still finalizing our proposal for a one-million-barrel-per-day pipeline to Canada’s West Coast for submission to the Major Projects Office by July 1,” said Sam Blackett, Smith’s press secretary, in an emailed response.

After reviewing the maps obtained by CBC News, former deputy minister for energy in Alberta, Grant Sprague, said some of the port options don’t have easy access to the Pacific Ocean for tankers to travel, with the exception of Prince Rupert and Grassy Point.

Meanwhile, all three northern routes will face difficult terrain through B.C., he said, including mountains, protected areas, and important salmon habitat.

“As I look at those maps, either you’re dealing with the Nass River or you’re dealing with the Skeena, both really important rivers. The question will be, are you able to put in place appropriate mitigation strategies to preserve those rivers?” he said.

Consulting with communities at this stage is like a “chicken and egg exercise,” he said, because the government wants input from communities, but many local leaders want details about a route before providing feedback. Ideally, a pipeline proponent will choose a general path, he said, then work with communities on the exact details of the route.

Considering how much engineering, consultation, and regulatory work ahead, as well as incorporating a private company to build the project, Sprague said the goal of beginning construction next year is “wildly ambitious.”

Indigenous consultations

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is aiming to submit the project to the Major Projects Office by July 1, so the proposal can be chosen as a nation-building project then be fast-tracked for development.

Alberta’s Indigenous Relations minister Rajan Sawhney has led the government’s consultation efforts so far, including talks with more than 40 Indigenous communities.

Since no route has been chosen, consultations have included a broad region of communities in both Alberta and B.C.

Sawhney declined an interview request, but said consultations are ongoing.

“No route has been determined for the project. This initial phase is about exploring technical requirements, quantifying costs, laying the groundwork for meaningful Indigenous partnerships, building relationships, and making the case for why this pipeline is in the national interest,” the minister said, in an emailed statement.

In some meetings with Indigenous leaders, government officials say information was provided about possible pipeline ownership opportunities and how the Alberta Indigenous Opportunities Corporation could provide financial support.

In the past, pipeline projects have faced setbacks when the consultation is deemed to be rushed or not conducted meaningfully, such as a court ruling in 2018 that temporarily halted construction of the Trans Mountain expansion.

The documents show how tankers on the West Coast could travel through different routes to ports in either the U.S. or Asia.

The documents are labelled ‘confidential’ and detail how community leaders would be shown the possible pipeline and ports, before being asked to rank the different options from best to worst. The community leaders would also be specifically asked if any of the options would be “showstoppers” for them.

B.C. government remains opposed

Smith and Prime Minister Mark Carney are working together to develop the pipeline, as part of a broader agreement between the two governments, which includes setting new methane and industrial carbon tax regulations, and reviewing major project proposals.

The two governments still need to strike a deal with oilsands companies on how to proceed with developing a large-scale carbon capture project in northern Alberta.

WATCH | West Coast pipeline build could start by September 2027, Smith says:

Alberta premier: ‘Aggressive timelines’ show investors that Alberta and Canada are serious about a pipeline

Alberta’s premier says timelines around the new pipeline deal struck between her province and the federal government send a strong signal to potential investors that both are serious about building a pipeline to the West Coast.

B.C. Premier David Eby has opposed the notion of a new oil pipeline through the province.

“As a country, it’s time to stop rewarding bad behaviour. It cannot be the case that the projects that get prioritized in Canada are those where a premier threatens to leave the country,” Eby said in a news release earlier this month, referencing Smith’s decision to have a province-wide vote about separation later this year.

The most recent consultations include a meeting last week with local governments in northeast B.C., a major natural gas producing region.

After a presentation, Peace River Regional District pressed for more details about who will own the pipeline, what long-term benefits there will be for the region, and what’s being done to address First Nation concerns and bring the B.C. government on board.

Ron Poole, who was acting as an Alberta government representative, couldn’t provide many answers, instead describing his role as collecting what he called “honest opinions” about the proposal.

“There is no route, so I can’t say where a pipeline is going to go,” said Poole. “I can’t even tell you if it’s going to go north or south.”

Poole had already met with other northern regional districts including the Bulkley-Nechako, Fraser-Fort George and Kitimat-Stikine. He has a planned meeting with the North Coast Regional District, which includes the coastal communities of Haida Gwaii and Prince Rupert.