Poilievre Urges Carney to Lift B.C. North Coast Oil Tanker Ban

Canada’s Conservative Leader, Pierre Poilievre, has urged Prime Minister Mark Carney to repeal the oil tanker ban along British Columbia’s northern coast, arguing that the restriction limits Canada’s ability to export its oil to international markets. Poilievre joined several opposition MPs in signing a letter to Carney as a federal Conservative bill seeking to scrap the ban heads for second reading. The MPs argued that the restriction costs Canada billions of dollars by forcing it to sell oil at discounted prices to the United States, benefiting American refineries.

Proposed Oil Export Route

The letter points to a proposal by Calgary-based Strathcona Resources to transport up to 250,000 barrels of Canadian oil daily by rail through Prince Rupert, British Columbia, for shipment across the Pacific Ocean. The project would require the tanker ban to be lifted or amended before it could proceed. The MPs said they were open to discussing changes that would allow the proposal to move forward. They argued that removing the restriction could create economic opportunities for Alberta and British Columbia.

Federal Agreement Complicates Proposal

Carney and then-British Columbia Premier David Eby signed an agreement in July committing Ottawa to maintain the north coast tanker ban without altering, suspending or narrowing its scope. After the agreement was signed, Alberta submitted a separate pipeline proposal to the federal Major Projects Office. The proposed southern route would largely follow the existing Trans Mountain pipeline corridor from Bruderheim, Alberta, to an export terminal in Delta, British Columbia. The debate over the tanker ban continues as political leaders consider competing approaches to expanding Canadian energy exports and protecting the country’s coastal environment.