EDMONTON – Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is demanding the immediate federal approval of a new bitumen pipeline to the Pacific coast, citing the “catastrophic” economic threat posed by U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent military intervention in Venezuela. Following the U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and President Trump’s pledge to revitalize the nation’s massive oil reserves with American investment, Smith warned that Alberta’s heavy crude could soon be displaced in its primary market, the U.S. Gulf Coast. “The events in Venezuela underline the absolute urgency of diversifying our markets,” Smith stated, emphasizing that the province can no longer afford to rely almost exclusively on a single customer that is actively seeking to revive a direct competitor.
The proposed project, a bitumen pipeline stretching to the northwest coast of British Columbia, is envisioned as a “nation-building” initiative with significant Indigenous co-ownership. Smith has called on Prime Minister Mark Carney to fast-track the proposal through the federal Major Projects Office, bypassing traditional regulatory delays to secure access to energy-hungry markets in Asia. The move comes as Alberta prepares its annual budget, with economists warning that the province’s fiscal health is highly vulnerable to oil price volatility; even a minor drop in the price of Western Canadian Select (WCS) could result in billions in lost revenue. While the federal government recently signed a memorandum of understanding with Alberta to explore new export routes, Smith and local industry leaders argue that the shifting geopolitical landscape under the Trump administration requires “bold, immediate action” to ensure Canada’s energy independence and economic resilience.
