Today, May 4, the Government of Canada approved the NOVA Gas Transmission Ltd. (NGTL) North Corridor System Expansion Project with 37 conditions. 

One of these conditions is that NGTL will create 786 hectares of land for caribou habitat – thirty times more habitat than will be impacted by the project. NGTL will be required to establish an Indigenous Working Group for the Red Earth and Chinchaga Caribou Ranges, ensuring Indigenous involvement in the work. 

The NGTL North Corridor Expansion Project, a $632 million project, will add 81 kilometres of new pipeline to the existing NOVA Gas Transmission system in three different sections and associated facilities in northwestern Alberta. 

According to TC Energy, the owner of the project, the expansion includes: 

  • The North Central Corridor (NCC) Loop -(North Star Section 2-) is a 48-inch, 24 kilometre (km) pipeline located approximately 20 km north of Manning, Alberta in Northern Lights County. 
  • The NCC Loop -(Red Earth Section 3) is a 48-inch, 32 km pipeline located approximately 45 km north of Red Earth Creek, Alberta in Northern Lights County and the MD of Opportunity. 
  • The Northwest Mainline (NWML) Loop No. 2 (Bear Canyon North Extension Section) is a 36-inch, 25 km pipeline located 50 km southwest of Worsley, Alberta in Clear Hills County. 
  • NGTL is also proposing to construct a 30-megawatt unit addition at the existing Hidden Lake North Compressor Station, approximately 100 km north of Worsley, Alberta in Clear Hills County. 

In a release, the Government of Canada explains the importance of the project. 

“It will power our economic recovery by creating up to 1,740 jobs and contributing about $425 million to Alberta’s GDP. The North Corridor Project provides natural gas producers better access to markets for their products and contributes toward the phase-out of coal-fired electricity by 2030. Supporting the phase-out of coal-fired electricity is a key part of the government’s plan to fight climate change, exceed our Paris climate targets, and move forward on our path to reach net-zero by 2050.” 

The project is also expected to create $307 million in labour income. 

The Minister of Natural Resources, The Honourable Seamus O’Regan Jr. O’Regan says, “We want good projects to get done, moving our natural resources to new markets and creating jobs. This means meeting our duty to meaningfully consult with potentially impacted Indigenous communities and addressing risks to the environment and species at risk, particularly. By taking the time to do the hard work, good projects are being built in Canada.” 

TC Energy anticipates construction to be complete by 2023.  

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