Biodiversity Boreal Climate change Conservation planning Freshwater Indigenous partnerships Natural resource development One Health

WCS Canada comments: Proposed national-interest designation of the West Coast Oil Pipeline

Ray, J. & Goodday, V.

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Key points

• The Government of Canada is considering whether to designate the West Coast Oil Pipeline (WCOP) as a “Project of National Interest” under the Building Canada Act - a consequential decision that would provide upfront federal approval.
• The Building Canada Act national-interest factors should be considered together, in an integrated fashion, and on the basis of sufficient evidence. Ecological risk means the potential for serious or difficult-to-reverse harm, taking into account the condition and sensitivity of affected ecosystems and the pressures they already face.
• For the WCOP, this includes risks to major watersheds and water security, species and habitat, ecosystem carbon, and cumulative pressures from the proposed marine terminal and tanker traffic. These risks cut across the national-interest factors because they can affect the extent to which the Project is resilient and secure, delivers net benefits, advances Indigenous interests, supports climate objectives, and has a high likelihood of successful execution.
• The WCOP decision should set a stronger standard for future national-interest designations: ecological risks and uncertainties should be disclosed alongside benefits; the mitigation hierarchy should shape siting, routing and design before project pathways are locked in; and major unresolved project choices should be addressed before designation or transparently accounted for in the decision.

Recommended citation

Ray, J. & Goodday, V. (2026). WCS Canada comments: Proposed national-interest designation of the West Coast Oil Pipeline. Wildlife Conservation Society Canada [WCS Canada]. https://wcscanada.org/resources/wcs-canada-comments-proposed-national-interest-designation-of-the-west-coast-oil-pipeline/