Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew speaks with reporters before the first ministers meeting in Ottawa, Jan. 29, 2026. The Canadian PressAdrian Wyld
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew says he’s willing to consider the west-east pipeline being proposed by his fellow leaders in Alberta and Ontario.
Kinew told reporters while in Charlottetown for the 2026 Summer Meeting of Canada’s Premiers that the pipeline has the potential to strengthen the country and there are workers in his province who would be eager to help build it.
“I’m open to it,” he said during a press scrum. “Having spent a few days in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, last week, I can tell you there’s probably a lot of people who’d like to work on a pipeline.”
The pipeline proposal was announced by Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Ontario Premier Doug Ford during a joint July 6 press conference in Calgary.
The pipeline would extend 3,300 kilometres from Hardisty, Alta., to refineries located in Sarnia, Ont., passing through Saskatchewan and Manitoba without entering the United States.
The west‑to‑east crude oil pipeline project, dubbed the “Northern Shield Energy Corridor,” would carry approximately 500,000 barrels of oil daily and could expand to 800,000 barrels per day, effectively reducing Canada’s need to import refined oil, the premiers said.
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe has said he supports the proposal, but Kinew had not previously expressed support for the project.
His office didn’t provide direct answers to questions concerning the proposal at the time of its announcement, emphasizing instead that major projects need to be built the right way. Kinew echoed this viewpoint during the press scrum held on July 22.
“If it’s going to make Canada stronger, great, but of course we want to see things done in the right way,” he said. “We want indigenous governments onside. We want workers taken care of. We want the environmental concerns all looked after. So those will be the conversations we have.”
Ford has said Ontario is considering possible pipeline extensions to connect to the Port of Churchill in northern Manitoba. Kinew said it’s a possibility, noting that the port extension could be perceived as a gesture to secure his backing of the west‑to‑east pipeline.
“Everyone’s throwing each other bones,” Kinew said. “I think it’s an exciting time to be a Canadian—lots of economic development on the horizon.”
Ford has characterized the Northern Shield Energy Corridor as a “win for Ontario, a win for Alberta, and a win for all of Canada” because it will create “good-paying jobs.”
“It’s a chance to make our country and our continent safer and more secure,” he said while announcing the pipeline route with Smith earlier this month.
Ford’s government is expected to provide an estimated cost and timeline for the project before year’s end, following the completion of a feasibility study. He told reporters once the study is completed “we’re not going to hold back. We’re going to go full steam ahead.”
The Canadian Press contributed to this report.
