Skeena Valley News
Published 3:45 am Thursday, January 29, 2026Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has ruled out Kitimat as a destination for her proposed oil pipeline to the West Coast, saying the route would be too complex, according to CBC.
“Kitimat, it’s not on the table as one of the ports we are looking at,” Smith said during a Jan. 25 news conference in Ottawa. “There’s too many channels to navigate.” Smith told reporters she is seeking a deepwater port “that does not require a lot of additional navigation.”CBC said Carney noted at the same conference that Ottawa’s memorandum of understanding with Alberta does not specify a particular route – only that the infrastructure aims to move oil to Asian markets. Although Smith has not identified a new target location, her stated criteria point toward Prince Rupert, which has a deepwater port, large-scale infrastructure and established marine shipping capacity. No official confirmation has been provided. As reported in Black Press Media, Carney and Smith signed a memorandum of understanding last November to prioritize construction of a new pipeline connecting Alberta’s oil sands to British Columbia’s north coast. Carney said the goal of the agreement was to strengthen Canada’s global position by improving energy independence, economic resilience and long-term sustainability. The deal was reached without the involvement of B.C. Premier David Eby and local north coast governments, or consultation with coastal First Nations. The agreement has revived long-standing opposition to bitumen pipelines in the region, particularly among Indigenous nations who want the federal moratorium on large oil tankers along the north coast to remain in place. The District of Kitimat has taken a cautious and critical stance on Smith’s pipeline project, citing the lack of clear environmental commitments in the federal–Alberta agreement. In November, Kitimat Mayor Phil Germuth toldthe district was open to discussions with Alberta, but nonetheless very concerned over the ecological and community impacts if such a project were to move forward.In 2014, Kitimat residents rejected the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline in a community plebiscite.
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