LIVE SHOW: Pacific Link: What Does It Mean for Rural Alberta?
A pipeline. A province. And a project that could reshape communities across Alberta.
In Fort McMurray last week, Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced the proposed Pacific Link pipeline — a major West Coast oil pipeline designated as a Project of National Interest under the Building Canada Act.
For Alberta’s rural municipalities, a project of this scale is about more than moving oil from one place to another.
It is about roads, housing, water systems and other infrastructure. It is about jobs and investment. It is about economic development—and how communities prepare for growth while ensuring local residents see lasting benefits.
Pacific Link could bring significant economic activity to communities across Alberta. But with opportunity comes questions.
What will the project mean for rural municipalities? How will local infrastructure keep pace? And how will the economic benefits of a project declared to be of national importance translate into tangible benefits for the communities along its path?
There are also questions about what comes next — from planning and approvals to investment and, ultimately, construction.
Kara Westerlund is President of the Rural Municipalities of Alberta, and she joins us to discuss the municipal perspective on Pacific Link, the opportunities it could create, the challenges communities may face, and the questions that remain unanswered.
What does a project of national importance mean for rural Alberta?
That is our conversation. I’m Christopher Brown, and This Is Municipal Affairs.
------
Listen To The Show:
Apple: https://apple.co/41p5I2I
Spotify: https://bit.ly/3tkvb0E
------
Follow Us On Social Media:
Municipal Affairs is Part of The Cross Border Network
©2026
Comments