The following op-ed — co-authored by ICBA President and CEO Chris Gardner and ICBA Alberta President Mike Martens — first ran in the Calgary Herald on Saturday, October 18, 2025.
You wouldn’t know it from B.C. Premier David Eby’s rhetoric, but an overwhelming majority of British Columbians actually support oil pipelines.
A recent CTV News/Nanos survey found that 74.5 percent of British Columbians support, or somewhat support, building a national energy corridor that includes an oil and gas pipeline from Alberta, even after being told there could be environmental or Indigenous land claim concerns. That shows that there is a strong appetite for a responsible, benefits-focused economic development discussion about getting our natural resources to market. Reasonable people are tiring of the NDP’s line-in-the-sand, anti-investment, anti-growth narrative.
It’s no surprise to us, as British Columbians are practical. They want projects that create well-paid jobs, help build stronger communities, and fund the health care, education and other services families count on every day. That’s why the idea of a northern route to tidewater deserves a serious discussion and not a dismissive slight of hand from the B.C. NDP.
Frustratingly, when Alberta Premier Danielle Smith suggested exploring this nation building opportunity, Premier Eby called the concept “fictional” and chose to pick a fight with Alberta instead of asking how to make it work for British Columbia and the rest of Canada. Calling opportunity “fictional” does not pay a single medical bill or build one school.
Eby also says there is no private-sector proponent, but we know investors step forward when governments demonstrate a credible path to regulatory approval and success. If Canada sets clear and commercially viable timelines, provides regulatory certainty, and proves that safe construction, strong environmental performance, and respectful partnerships with First Nations are achievable – then capital will follow.
The upside for B.C. is real. A northern pipeline backed by private capital could drive more than twenty billion dollars in total investment, with roughly one-third of that spent in B.C. Construction would support about twenty to twenty-five thousand person-years of employment. Once in service, it could generate more than $111 billion over three decades for the treasuries of Alberta, B.C. and Canada. That money supports health care, schools, roads, and municipal services that British Columbians use every day.
This is also a strategic response to our tariff-happy neighbours to the south. For months, Eby has been touting a “Team Canada” approach to pushing back against Donald Trump. Now, at the moment of decision, it’s elbows down and the Canadian jersey has been shoved to the back of the B.C. closet.
Access to tidewater means Canadian producers would no longer be forced to sell at a discount to U.S. refiners. Every barrel that reaches global markets at world prices is a raise for Canadian workers and a win for Canadian public finances. We could stop subsidizing America with our missed opportunity.
Partnership with First Nations is essential and achievable. Modern benefit agreements can deliver long-term revenue, training, and equity opportunities worth hundreds of millions of dollars over a project’s life. Municipalities along the corridor would see new property tax base from rights-of-way and terminal facilities, funding recreation centres, roads, and emergency services. Port activity on the north coast would create permanent jobs in marine operations, customs, and logistics. Housing and services would follow the work, giving young families a reason to build their lives in the North.
Pipelines in Canada are built and operated under some of the toughest environmental and safety standards in the world. We have the engineering expertise, monitoring technology, and regulatory oversight to do this responsibly. Revenue from responsibly produced energy is not the enemy of transition. It is the funding stream that supports innovation, electrification, and cleaner technologies across the economy.
This is a nation-building moment. A secure, coast-to-coast energy system strengthens national unity by ensuring every region shares in the benefits of our resources. It tells the world that Canada can still plan, build, and deliver complex infrastructure and be a strong, reliable and strategic trading partner. British Columbians should be proud partners in this story, not bystanders, watching opportunity pass us by.
As Attorney General before becoming Premier, Eby proudly used every tool at his disposal to frustrate the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion Project. Canada cannot keep saying “no”, blocking projects and watching jobs vanish, revenues shrink, and taxes climb. It weakened us in the face of a more aggressive trading posture from the United States, and we cannot make the same mistake again.
The public is already there. It is time for Premier Eby to catch up.
Chris Gardner is president of ICBA B.C. Mike Martens is president of ICBA Alberta.
