Alberta pipeline missing from major projects list, but Premier Smith is optimistic

Despite the absence of an oil pipeline on a federal list of major projects announced by the prime minister in Edmonton Thursday, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says the concerns of her province are finally being heard.

In a post to social media Thursday, Smith said a meeting with Mark Carney the day before went exceptionally well.

“Although we still have some details to work out over the coming weeks, I am more optimistic than ever that the concerns of Albertans are FINALLY BEING HEARD and I look forward to reaching an agreement that will profoundly benefit the Canadian and Alberta economies,” she wrote on X.

“The work is not yet complete and I know many Albertans feel that the rug has been pulled from underneath our feet too many times to count, but I ask for a bit more time, patience and faith as we owe it to our province and country to see this process through.”

In a press conference Thursday, Smith repeated her satisfaction with the Carney sit down.

“I would say that my meeting with the prime minister was about as encouraging as any meeting I’ve had with the federal government in a long time,” she said. “I think he really understands the issues we put on the table and we’re working through how to address them.”

Good to meet with Premier @ABDanielleSmith today in Edmonton. The Premier and I are focused on getting big things built here — to empower Albertans and build greater prosperity for all Canadians. pic.twitter.com/Gyb3b5d2LR

— Mark Carney (@MarkJCarney) September 11, 2025

On the federal government’s list is an expansion to the Port of Montreal and doubling production of liquefied natural gas in British Columbia, construction of a small modular reactor in Ontario, a new copper mine in Saskatchewan, and an expansion of the Red Chris Mine’s copper operation in northwestern B.C.

Alberta’s premier says her top projects are a pipeline to the BC coast and the Pathways Project. She also maintains there are several federal bills that stand in the way of successful project development, like C-69, that need to be repealed.

Despite the lack of Alberta-focused news Thursday, Smith is still hopeful.

“I can tell you that when I looked at the list of the first five projects, I thought ‘Finally, they get it’ because it’s all the projects that have been difficult to build — it’s mining projects, it’s LNG Canada and I think that demonstrates a real shift in the focus of this government,” she said.

The premier says she understands why Albertans may be frustrated with the lack of pipeline updates, but asks for patience.

“We went from having chased away half-a-trillion dollars worth of investment over the last 10 years — you can’t turn that around immediately,” Smith said.

She also said having the Major Projects Office in Calgary led by former TransAlta CEO Dawn Farrell, is encouraging.