Alberta Premier Smith Seeks Cooperation From B.C. Over Potential Tanker-Ban Repeal

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she wants to work collaboratively with Government of British Columbia to explore lifting the tanker ban, even as significant resistance remains in the province.

In recent remarks before a parliamentary committee, a federal official said discussions between Ottawa and Alberta are ongoing, and the parties are “close to a place” where concrete decisions may emerge.

Still, no private company has committed to building a pipeline from Alberta to the B.C. coast, an essential precursor to any tanker-moratorium changes. Smith’s government has said it plans to submit a proposal to the federal Major Projects Office by next spring.

Under the terms proposed by Alberta, a pipeline project would be paired with a large-scale carbon-capture initiative, namely the Pathways Alliance, and could also involve a higher industrial carbon price in Alberta.

But the proposal has drawn sharp criticism. David Eby, Premier of British Columbia, warns that repealing the tanker ban, especially for a project with no concrete backing coul

d jeopardize billions in other investments that depend on coastal First Nations’ support.

Eby argues the moratorium serves as a fundamental “social licence” that underpins development opportunities on B.C.’s coast, and that ditching it for a speculative pipeline is irresponsible.

As it stands, any shift on the tanker ban will require more than just political will: it hinges on a viable project proponent, financing, environmental safeguards and meaningful support from B.C. and First Nations, none of which are yet secured.