Pacific Link Timeline: The Dates, Decisions and Milestones to Watch

Pacific Link is moving quickly by Canadian infrastructure standards. Here are the milestones that matter — and what comes next.

For companies interested in Pacific Link, one date matters more than almost any other right now:

September 1, 2027.

That is the date governments are currently targeting for the project to have the permissions necessary for design and construction to potentially begin.

Getting there will require an extraordinary amount of work.

Here is how Pacific Link reached this point — and what comes next.

Fall 2025 — Early engagement begins

Relationship-building and early discussions with Indigenous communities in Alberta and British Columbia begin.

Engineering and planning teams also start examining potential routes, infrastructure requirements and project economics.

October 2025 — Alberta advances the pipeline concept

The Government of Alberta announces its intention to advance a proposal for a new oil pipeline connecting Alberta production with the West Coast.

The objective is straightforward: substantially increase Canada’s ability to sell oil into global markets.

November 2025 — Canada and Alberta sign an MOU

The federal and Alberta governments sign a memorandum of understanding that includes support for advancing a West Coast oil pipeline with Indigenous participation and access to Asian markets.

This represents an important political shift.

A project that would require coordination across provincial, federal and Indigenous jurisdictions now has a framework for moving forward.

July 2, 2026 — Formal submission goes forward

Alberta submits the project to the federal Major Projects Office.

At the same time, Trans Mountain Corporation and Pembina Pipeline Corporation emerge as key project partners.

The submission includes preliminary routing, project economics, market analysis, environmental considerations and information gathered through engagement with more than 100 Indigenous communities.

October 1, 2026 — Pacific Link gets its name

The federal government officially lists the project as a Project of National Interest under the Building Canada Act.

The West Coast Oil Pipeline is now Pacific Link.

The designation places it into a streamlined federal review process involving the Major Projects Office and Canada Energy Regulator.

For suppliers, contractors and communities, this is the moment Pacific Link becomes very difficult to ignore.

Now through 2027 — The positioning period

This may prove to be one of the most commercially important periods of the entire project.

Before major construction comes:

• engineering
• route refinement
• consultation
• environmental work
• procurement planning
• partnership development
• supplier qualification

Companies hoping to participate in the project should be watching closely during this phase.

The first major construction contract is not the beginning of the opportunity.

It is evidence that the opportunity began much earlier.

September 1, 2027 — Earliest potential construction start

Government planning currently identifies September 1, 2027 as the earliest point at which construction could begin, assuming consultation obligations are fulfilled and required approvals and permits are received.

That date is ambitious.

Large infrastructure schedules change.

But it provides the supplier community with something it rarely gets this early:

a target.

2028–2031 — Potential major construction years

If the current schedule holds, these are likely to become the years when Pacific Link’s footprint becomes much more visible.

• Thousands of workers
• Large equipment fleets
• Construction spreads
• Logistics hubs
• Pipeline installation
• Pump stations
• Terminal and marine work
• Testing and commissioning

Exact procurement and construction schedules have not yet been announced, and they will depend on regulatory and commercial decisions still to come.

2032 — Target completion

Alberta’s Major Projects database currently lists 2032 as the expected project completion year.

Between now and then, Pacific Link could become one of Canada’s largest ongoing industrial stories.

That is why ThePacificLink.ca exists.

We’ll maintain this timeline as the project develops — adding regulatory decisions, major contracts, construction milestones, Indigenous partnerships, supplier announcements and significant changes to the schedule.

Six years is a long time to build a pipeline.

It is also a long time to build businesses around one.