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Trans Mountain resumes pipeline expansion

Long-delayed project to bring more of Western Canada’s oil to market gets under way, slated for completion in 2022.

The expansion of Trans Mountain is slated to triple capacity. Photo: Trans Mountain

Trans Mountain Corporation moved to resume the expansion of its pipeline, which promises to triple the amount moving from Alberta to British Columbia by mid-2022. 

Trans Mountain, owned by the Canadian government, announced on August 21 that it issued directives to contractors to mobilize for the expansion in September. 

Work will likely begin soon as large amounts of the pipe and other equipment have been trucked in following the June decision by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet to re-start the expansion

“Clearly this project has been subjected to numerous delays and setbacks over the past several years,” Trans Mountain CEO Ian Anderson said in a statement. “With today’s announcement on the commencement of construction, I firmly believe that we are finally able to start delivering the significant national and regional benefits we have always committed to.” 


Trans Mountain said about 4,200 workers will be employed from the expansion. It will prioritize hiring workers from indigenous and local communities, and the region. 

The expansion will allow an additional 590,000 barrels of oil to flow per day through the 800-mile pipeline. It’s designed to bring more oil from Western Canada’s oil sands to foriegn markets.

The project has been delayed since August 2018, when a federal court ruled that the government must do additional review and consultation.


Nate Tabak

Nate Tabak is a Toronto-based journalist and producer who covers cybersecurity and cross-border trucking and logistics for FreightWaves. He spent seven years reporting stories in the Balkans and Eastern Europe as a reporter, producer and editor based in Kosovo. He previously worked at newspapers in the San Francisco Bay Area, including the San Jose Mercury News. He graduated from UC Berkeley, where he studied the history of American policing. Contact Nate at [email protected].