Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Ontario Premier Doug Ford say the proposed Northern Shield Energy Corridor pipeline could be built in less than four-and-a-half years, as Ford confirmed Monday that his province is prepared to put public money toward the project.
The two premiers made the comments during a discussion in Calgary focused on strengthening Canada’s energy sector and east-west economic ties amid the ongoing trade dispute with the United States. The Northern Shield proposal would carry Alberta crude oil roughly 3,300 kilometres from Hardisty, Alta., to refining facilities in Sarnia, Ont., with the possibility of an extension to the Port of Churchill in Manitoba.
An ‘Aggressive’ Construction Timeline
Ford compared the pipeline’s potential construction pace to the building of Canada’s transcontinental railway under Sir John A. Macdonald, which he noted took about four and a half years. Smith described Ford’s timeline as ambitious but achievable, pointing to TC Energy’s Mainline, which she said was built in roughly 18 months decades ago, as evidence that major energy infrastructure can move quickly.
According to the Alberta government, the pipeline and its pump stations could initially move about 500,000 barrels of crude oil per day, with capacity eventually rising to as much as 800,000 barrels per day. The project remains in an early stage, and no cost estimate or confirmed construction timeline has been set.
Ontario Commits to ‘Patient Capital’
Ford said his government is ready to provide public funding to help get the project built, though he did not give a specific dollar figure. He described the funding as “patient capital” meant to support long-term investment rather than cover the full cost of the pipeline.
Speaking with reporters after the event, Ford clarified that Ontario would not be paying for the entire project and said he anticipates outside investors will also contribute. A feasibility study led by Infrastructure Ontario examining the pipeline’s likely costs is expected to be finished by the end of 2026.
Part of a Broader Energy Push
Ford framed the Northern Shield proposal as a way to link Alberta’s oil and gas sector with Ontario’s nuclear power industry, arguing the two provinces could benefit from greater interprovincial energy cooperation. He also tied the project to Canada’s response to the ongoing trade tensions with the United States.
The Calgary discussion, held during the 2026 Enserva Speaker Series at the TELUS Convention Centre and moderated by Enserva president and CEO Gurpreet Lail, comes as Alberta separately awaits a decision from the federal Major Projects Office on a proposed West Coast pipeline. That project, estimated to cost between $35.2 billion and $43.7 billion, would run from Alberta to southern British Columbia largely along the existing Trans Mountain pipeline corridor.
This article references reporting from:
