The province’s energy minister, Adrian Dix, said that expanding the government-owned pipeline is a “demonstrably better” option than a proposed new oil conduit from Alberta to northern British Columbia’s coast. (The Globe and Mail)

Talking point: The B.C. government appears to be drawing a line in the sand with regard to its position on pipelines. By supporting Trans Mountain’s potential expansion, the province is conceding to Alberta’s desire for additional oil shipments through British Columbia. At the same time, it’s declining to support Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s separate proposal for a new oil pipeline. That proposal would require lifting the northern coast oil tanker ban—a move that B.C. has ruled out. Trans Mountain has not officially applied for its next main pipeline expansion, which would increase capacity by another 360,000 barrels per day—significantly less than Alberta’s roughly one-million-barrel-per-day proposal. Trans Mountain expanded to 890,000 barrels per day in 2024, and now runs at around 80 per cent capacity.