Doug Ford and Danielle Smith held a joint press conference yesterday to announce a proposal for a northern pipeline route from Alberta to Sarnia, entirely through Canadian territory. Currently Alberta oil transits to Sarnia through the US because it’s a much shorter and flatter route, and that network is working just fine. Yes, a northern route might be more secure from American threats, but I will reiterate—a Canadian route is much longer, and over much rougher terrain, and is unlikely to find private sector proponents because they have no desire to strand the current pipeline network’s assets.
This sounds an awful lot to me like wishful thinking. There’s no timeline, there’s no price tag, there’s no agreement with Manitoba to go through that province—it’s a line on a map that rests on the wishful thinking that the oil market is going to keep growing in perpetuity. Ford keeps talking about how great it would be if the pipeline could go all the way to the Irving refinery in New Brunswick, but that’s never going to happen because Irving has no interest in paying a premium for Alberta oil when they can get imports for cheaper. (On a similar note, hopes to ship oil or LNG out of the Port of Churchill is also fantasy, because it’s only open for three months out of the year, and if they think that they need icebreakers the rest of the year, well, that’s one hell of a government subsidy).
Meanwhile, Smith going on about how the plan is to build this out now and decarbonise later is also ridiculous. There is a supply glut in the global oil market already (and prices will fall precipitously once the Strait of Hormuz issue is resolved, which it will be). Alberta increasing production to fill all of these pipelines is not going to bring plenty of more dollars, because adding supply to a supply glut further lowers the prices they get. That’s the reason why so much investment dried up after the price crash in 2014. It’s not coming back. This is just fantasy.
Danielle And Doug Ford Are Making A Beautiful Pipeline Togetheryoutu.be/BbOvIjvbMMw
— Clare Blackwood (@clareblackwood.bsky.social) 2026-07-06T19:40:58.929Z
My Latest:
- My column on the justice committee hearings being largely a clown show because we don’t have serious bunch of MPs who asked questions of the new SCC justice.
- My weekend column points out that the extreme weather on Canada Day in Ottawa should have been a wake-up call for Carney, but he refuses to listen.
Ukraine Dispatch:
Kyiv got hammered by missiles and drones early Monday, with at least 28 people killed, thanks to a shortage of American-made air defences like Patriot missiles. President Zelenskyy denies Russian claims that they have captured Kostyantynivka. Ukrainian drones have struck the large oil refinery in Omsk, deep in Siberia.
Noteworthy:
- Kevin Carmichael is optimistic that Carney’s food strategy can achieve a transformation in Canadian industry that has largely eluded us so far.
- Justin Ling calls on Canada to cut diplomatic ties with Israel given their ongoing willingness to violate international law and liberal norms.
- Shannon Proudfoot correctly wonders why no private proponent is stepping up to fund that pipeline if it’s the money-printing machine that Smith and Carney claim.
- Paul Wells takes a gander through the latest round of pre-budget submissions.
- Philippe Lagassé has some thoughts about the choice of the German-Norwegian submarine proposal that Canada has signed onto.
They really don't get the concept of "retaliatory," do they?
— Dale Smith (@journodale.bsky.social) 2026-07-06T18:40:01.036Z
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Do US legislators and their staffs spend as much time actually thinking about their legislation as they do dreaming up silly names for it?
Combating Attacks on our National Alcoholic Drinks by Allies Act
Duh “CANADAA”? Well I suppose it might get a B+ in a high school marketing class.
I see Tenney is up for re-election this year so I suppose she needs the publicity.
When I read the PMO thing on removing the partisanship ban and I did think wait, Frances Lankin was a MPP for Beaches—East York and also in the Rae cabinet and she was appointed to the Senate under these guidelines. Maybe others but she was the first one to come to mind so that can’t be totally accurate.
Also wished I knew more about him to have a take if Richard Martel makes sense as an appointment by a LPC MP? Marilyn Gladu at least publicly stated how she would vote differently after floor crossing on things like abortion access or same-sex marriage.
Also doesn’t Quebec Senators have to be from specific regions and of wondering what region Tom Pitfield is suppose to be from as his wife in Westmount’s sitting MP.