Advertisement

David Eby and Mark Carney meet in B.C. to discuss province’s priorities

Click to play video: 'PM in Vancouver to meet with Eby about BC’s priorities'
PM in Vancouver to meet with Eby about BC’s priorities
Prime Minister Mark Carney is in Vancouver meeting with Premier David Eby about the economy and energy. This comes days after the PM announced an agreement with Alberta outlining the timeline for a proposed pipeline to B.C.'s coast. Ben O'Hara-Byrne has more – May 20, 2026

Prime Minister Mark Carney met with B.C. Premier David Eby on Wednesday morning and pipeline politics were high on the agenda.

On Friday, Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced they had entered into an implementation agreement for a proposed pipeline to B.C.’s coast.

It outlines a timeline for the project, with Alberta submitting a proposal to the major projects office by July 1 and construction expected to begin as early as September 2027.

The two sides also agreed to a deal on industrial carbon pricing.

Click to play video: 'Ottawa-Alberta sign new carbon pricing deal'
Ottawa-Alberta sign new carbon pricing deal

Carney gave a speech to the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade on Wednesday morning, laying out his plans for the Canadian economy.

Story continues below advertisement

“We need to move, we need to move together, we need to move in a coordinated fashion,” Carney said.

Get daily Canada news delivered to your inbox so you'll never miss the day's top stories.

Get daily National news

Get daily Canada news delivered to your inbox so you'll never miss the day's top stories.
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Eby previously expressed strong opposition to a pipeline to the north coast.

He argued Alberta is getting preferential treatment from Ottawa, partly due to the threat of separatism.

“The message to the prime minister is simple,” Eby said.

“This country cannot work if separatists, separatist premiers, others get all of the attention of the federal government and those provinces where we’re standing squarely behind Canada, where we are fighting for Canada, where we couldn’t be more pro-Canadian in the projects we’re advancing.”

However, he sounded a different tone on Wednesday.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that the prime minister is a friend to British Columbia and an important part of friendship is telling each other the truth,” Eby said.

He wants Ottawa to uphold an existing north coast tanker ban that could impact the viability of a pipeline project while looking for federal backing for major B.C.-led initiatives such as phase 2 of LNG Canada.

“The provincial government is trying to narrow the tightrope here,” Stewart Prest, a professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of British Columbia, said.

Story continues below advertisement

“They are desperate to look like a party that’s capable of advancing business; they really want to show that they are a party that can get shovels in the ground.”

Carney was also clear about what the federal government is trying to accomplish.

“I feel like we’re really getting momentum now across the country; we don’t want to hear what people are against; we want to hear what they’re for, and if you’re for something, we will get behind you,” he said.

Sponsored content

AdChoices