One day after the premiers of Alberta and Ontario revealed the route for a proposed cross-Canada oil pipeline, Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew declined to say whether he supports or opposes the project.
The proposed Northern Shield pipeline would stretch across southern Manitoba and, according to the map presented by Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Ontario Premier Doug Ford, would pass directly through Winnipeg.
Alberta and Ontario Premiers Unveil Pipeline Route
On Monday, Smith and Ford appeared together in Calgary to present a map of the proposed Northern Shield pipeline.
The project is described as a 3,300-kilometre pipeline connecting oil refineries in Hardisty, Alberta, to refineries in Sarnia, Ontario.
The route shown by the premiers would run east-west across Canada, including through Manitoba’s capital city.
Earlier Agreement Did Not Include Manitoba
In August 2025, Ford, Smith and Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe agreed to study the feasibility of an east-west oil pipeline.
Kinew did not join that agreement.
At the time, he said Manitoba’s approach would be to consult Indigenous nations from the very beginning of any major infrastructure or resource project.
Kinew said some governments prefer to move ahead with legislation first, but that approach can put other partners at a disadvantage.
Kinew Has Supported Churchill Natural Gas Pipeline
While Kinew has not backed the proposed oil pipeline, he has repeatedly expressed support for a natural gas pipeline to the Port of Churchill.
Ford suggested Monday that an east-west oil pipeline could potentially include a spur line to Churchill.
Ford also praised Kinew, saying he believes the Manitoba premier needs more time to consult people in his province and that the two sides could eventually work something out.
Kinew Avoids Direct Answer on Oil Pipeline
On Tuesday, Kinew was repeatedly asked for his view on the pipeline route proposed by Ford and Smith.
Instead of directly answering, he spoke about Alberta’s planned sovereignty referendum this fall.
Speaking during a virtual press conference from Arviat, Nunavut, Kinew said he loves Alberta and Albertans and wants Canada to remain united.
He said he wishes Alberta were not holding a referendum, but if the question continues, he is open to supporting different opportunities that show Albertans they are valued within Canada.
First Nations Leaders Call for Consultation
Reaction in Manitoba to the proposed route and Kinew’s decision not to directly address it was mixed.
Both the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs and the Southern Chiefs’ Organization said governments must respect the duty to consult and accommodate First Nations before moving forward with major projects.
AMC Grand Chief Kyra Wilson said there have been no consultations with First Nations leaders about either the east-west oil pipeline promoted by several premiers or Kinew’s preferred natural gas pipeline to Churchill.
She said no projects should move through First Nations ancestral and traditional territories without decision-making from Indigenous leadership.
Southern Chiefs’ Organization Raises Concerns
SCO Grand Chief Jerry Daniels said any major infrastructure proposal crossing Anishinaabe and Dakota territories in southern Manitoba must begin with rights-holders.
He said First Nations should not be treated as stakeholders only after political announcements have already been made elsewhere.
Daniels has also expressed concern about Manitoba’s proposed Crown-Indigenous corporation, which Kinew says would work on the Churchill natural gas pipeline with the federal government and Arctic Gateway, the owner of the Port of Churchill.
Daniels told the Winnipeg Free Press in June that the SCO could not endorse the corporation because of concerns it might be used to avoid proper consultation with First Nations.
Manitoba Opposition Criticizes Kinew
Manitoba Opposition Leader Obby Khan criticized Kinew for not supporting the oil pipeline proposed by Ford, Moe and Smith.
Khan said other provinces are having serious conversations about major economic projects, while Kinew is seeking billions in federal transfer payments.
He argued that Manitoba should be more actively involved in the pipeline discussion.
Environmental Activist Questions Project
Environmental activist Eric Reder, a campaigner with the Wilderness Committee of Canada, questioned whether the Northern Shield pipeline should be treated as a serious proposal.
He said people should understand that the project is not a done deal.
Reder dismissed the idea as something proposed from Alberta rather than a fully developed national infrastructure plan.
Premier Wab Kinew has avoided taking a clear position on the proposed Northern Shield oil pipeline, even after Alberta and Ontario revealed a route that would run through southern Manitoba and Winnipeg.
While Ford, Smith and Moe have promoted the idea of an east-west oil pipeline, Kinew has focused more on Indigenous consultation and his preferred natural gas pipeline to Churchill.
First Nations leaders say no major project should move forward without early and meaningful consultation with rights-holders.
Meanwhile, Manitoba’s opposition is urging Kinew to support the proposal, while environmental critics question whether the pipeline is realistic at all. The debate shows how energy development, Indigenous rights, federalism and national unity are now intersecting in Manitoba.
