Alberta Looks to Align With Sask. ‘Pre-Approved’ Pipeline Position

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith speaks in Edmonton on April 10, 2024. The Canadian Press/Jason Franson

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said she’s looking to adopt the pipeline strategy of Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe, who recently designated all pipeline permits in his province as “pre-approved.”

Moe made the comments on Feb. 26 while visiting Washington to meet with business leaders and politicians to discuss U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff threats. Moe announced on social media the same day that “effective immediately” all pipeline permits “going east, west, or south received in Saskatchewan will be considered pre-approved.” He also encouraged all provinces and the federal government to follow suit.

Smith said she has instructed her team to explore ways in which Alberta can “align” with Saskatchewan on the policy.

“It’s time for Team Canada to get serious about our domestic energy security, nation building, and growing our economy,” Smith said in a Feb. 27 post on the X platform.

She described Alberta as one of the most “business-friendly jurisdictions” in North America.

“I have repeatedly emphasized Alberta’s willingness to work with other provinces and the federal government to develop new pipeline projects across the country as soon as possible,” she wrote.

Trump has said 25 percent tariffs on Canadian exports and 10 percent on oil and gas will come into effect on March 4 due to border security concerns, and he is considering additional tariffs this spring.

Smith has been advocating for increased support for domestic energy initiatives in light of U.S. tariffs. She has also called for the elimination of interprovincial trade barriers in Canada to help the country “weather this incoming trade dispute with the U.S.”

Smith, Moe, and Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston have all pushed for the renewal of a cross-country pipeline project such as Energy East. The project, which would have carried around one million barrels of oil every day from Alberta and Saskatchewan across the country to facilities in New Brunswick and Quebec, was first proposed in 2013. It was cancelled by pipeline company TransCanada in 2017, citing a drop in global oil prices combined with a regulatory and environmental hurdles.

Quebec Premier Francois Legault has said there is still no “social acceptability” in his province for the pipeline project, though he said that could change under U.S. tariffs.

Interprovincial Trade

The threat of Trump’s tariffs have also seen renewed push in Canada for removing interprovincial trade barriers.

Nova Scotia has tabled legislation that would see interprovincial trade barriers dropped for provinces and territories that do the same. Premier Houston has said that the move would allow other Canadian goods and services to be sold in his province without further testing or red tape.

The federal government has also recently moved to cut interprovincial trade barriers, announcing on Feb. 21 it would cut 20 federal exceptions in the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA). Ottawa said this would help boost the economy in the face of U.S. tariffs, estimating it could add up to $200 billion to the Canadian economy.

Last year, more than $530 billion worth of goods and services moved between provinces and territories, according to the federal government, equal to around 20 percent of national GDP.

Jennifer Cowan contributed to this report.