Ottawa, B.C. tie tanker ban to major funding

Prime Minister Mark Carney and British Columbia Premier David Eby announced a Canada‑British Columbia Cooperative Prosperity Agreement in Vancouver on July 2, 2026. The memorandum of understanding sets out a framework that links federal energy policy on the North Coast to a package of large‑scale infrastructure and resource‑development investments in the province.

A central element of the agreement is a federal commitment to maintain the existing North Coast oil tanker ban in accordance with the route of a proposed new trans‑provincial pipeline. The wording ties the continuation of the moratorium to how any future pipeline corridor is configured along Canada’s West Coast.

The MOU includes $3.5 billion in federal support for phases one and two of the North Coast Transmission Line, aimed at expanding electricity infrastructure in northern British Columbia. It also sets out a federal role in a Roberts Bank container terminal upgrade, described as a $10 billion project that will receive backing from Ottawa.

Transport infrastructure is a prominent part of the deal, with a federal contribution of up to $3 billion toward replacing the George Massey Tunnel. The agreement also commits $500 million in federal funding for expansion at the Red Chris mine, alongside $250 million for a Whales Initiative focused on marine protection.

While the federal and B.C. governments set terms around the tanker ban and coastal infrastructure, Alberta is pursuing a major oil export project. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has been acting as the proponent of a proposed one‑million‑barrel‑per‑day pipeline to the West Coast, pending designation by the federal Major Projects Office.

An update on the Alberta‑backed pipeline was scheduled for July 2, 2026, but a planned morning briefing was postponed. The timing placed Alberta’s pipeline push alongside the federal‑B.C. announcement that keeps the North Coast tanker ban in place, shaping the context for how any future route might proceed.

The Cooperative Prosperity Agreement drew a clear response from Indigenous leadership on the coast. Marilyn Slett, president of the Coastal First Nations Great Bear Initiative, welcomed the commitment to uphold the North Coast tanker ban as part of the federal‑B.C. arrangement.

She reiterated that the alliance would never allow oil tankers on the north coast, underscoring continued opposition to tanker traffic in the region. This stance highlights ongoing environmental and rights‑based concerns around marine shipping, even as governments advance energy and infrastructure plans tied to a potential new pipeline.