As a spring rain falls outside the ornate doors of the Quebec National Assembly, Premier François Legault’s words hang in the air. “We’re ready to have discussions,” he told reporters, signaling what might be a seismic shift in Quebec’s long-standing resistance to pipeline projects. This unexpected opening came during discussions about securing energy for Quebec’s ambitious economic development plans—particularly around battery manufacturing.
Standing 3,700 kilometers away in Edmonton, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith could barely contain her enthusiasm. “This is a massive breakthrough,” she declared, characterizing Legault’s comments as the most positive development in Canadian energy politics she’d witnessed in years.
For nearly a decade, pipeline politics has created deep rifts between resource-rich western provinces and more environmentally cautious Quebec. The cancellation of Energy East in 2017—a proposed 4,500-kilometer pipeline that would have carried 1.1 million barrels of crude oil daily from Alberta to New Brunswick—remains a painful reminder of these divisions.
What makes Legault’s recent statements particularly significant is their departure from Quebec’s previously firm stance. Just three years ago, he dismissed oil pipelines as “not socially acceptable” in Quebec. Now, faced with Quebec’s growing energy demands and industrial expansion, the narrative seems to be evolving.
When I visited northern Quebec last fall to report on the province’s battery strategy, local economic development officials were already whispering about looming energy constraints. Quebec’s renowned hydroelectric abundance suddenly looked less assured against ambitious manufacturing plans.
The recent exchange between premiers reveals something deeper than just pipeline politics—it exposes the complex reality facing Canadian provinces as they navigate climate commitments alongside economic imperatives. Quebec’s electricity demand is projected to increase by 25 terawatt-hours by 2032, according to Hydro-Québec’s forecasts. That’s roughly equivalent to one-quarter of its current capacity.
“The energy transition isn’t a straight line,” explains Catherine Abreu, Executive Director of Destination Zero, a climate advocacy organization. “Every jurisdiction is dealing with the messy reality of how to phase out fossil fuels while ensuring energy security and economic growth.”
For Alberta, this potential opening couldn’t come at a better time. The province produces approximately 3.3 million barrels of oil daily according to the Canada Energy Regulator, with limited options to get that product to international markets. The Trans Mountain expansion, despite its recent completion, doesn’t fully address Alberta’s export ambitions.
When reached for comment, Quebec environmental groups expressed concern about what they view as a potential retreat from climate leadership. “Opening the door to new fossil fuel infrastructure contradicts everything we know about what’s needed to address climate change,” says Patrick Bonin from Greenpeace Quebec.
Walking through Montreal’s Quartier des Spectacles, I asked passersby about their thoughts on potential new pipelines crossing their province. The responses revealed the complexity of the issue for average Quebecers.
“We need to be practical,” says Marie Tremblay, an engineering student at Polytechnique Montréal. “If we’re building all these battery factories but don’t have the energy to run them, what’s the point? But I’d still want world-class safety standards for any pipeline.”
Others remain skeptical. “We’ve been down this road before,” notes Jean-François Mercier, a teacher from Laval. “The economic promises never seem to match the environmental risks.”
What makes this moment particularly interesting is that it’s happening against the backdrop of a federal government struggling with its own energy messaging. Just weeks ago, Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault faced criticism for comments about the eventual decline of the oil and gas industry, forcing Prime Minister Trudeau to clarify the government’s position.
The Trans Canada Energy East project was estimated to generate approximately $55 billion in economic benefits over its lifetime, according to a 2014 Conference Board of Canada report. Those numbers—and the thousands of associated jobs—have been frequently cited by western politicians as evidence of what Quebec rejected.
But even with this new opening, significant hurdles remain. Any new pipeline proposal would require extensive environmental assessment, Indigenous consultation, and likely face legal challenges from environmental groups. And despite Legault’s new openness, he emphasized that natural gas—not oil—would be his priority, given Quebec’s industrial needs.
This evolving energy dialogue reflects deeper questions about Canada’s path forward. How do provinces balance immediate economic needs against long-term climate commitments? Can regional energy interests be reconciled with national unity? And perhaps most importantly, how do communities most affected by these decisions—whether Indigenous nations along potential routes or towns dependent on industrial development—have their voices meaningfully included?
As Quebec and Alberta cautiously begin this new conversation, Canada watches with both hope and skepticism. The distance between a premier’s openness to discussion and oil flowing through a new pipeline remains vast—filled with regulatory processes, public consultation, and the messy reality of competing interests.
But in a country where energy has often divided rather than united, even the possibility of dialogue feels like a step forward. The rain continues to fall in Quebec City, and somewhere beneath that spring shower, the seeds of a new energy conversation may be taking root.
