In Prince George, Enbridge, along with government officials and community leaders, came together to mark the start of construction. The signing of the pipe, manufactured in Canada, represents what we can achieve together to strengthen Canada’s energy future.. Enbridge photo/LinkedIn
Enbridge Inc. has broken ground on a $4-billion natural gas pipeline expansion in British Columbia, and its top executive expects the company, best known as a major crude oil shipper, to make more such investments in the future.
“Natural gas is not a transition fuel. Natural gas is a destination fuel, increasingly, for the seven billion people on the planet who do not have access like Canadians do and North Americans do to a low carbon, efficient fuel source,” Greg Ebel told reporters in Prince George, B.C., on Monday.
“Natural gas is on, and very much Enbridge is part of that.”
The project aims to add another 300 million cubic feet per day of transportation capacity by adding about 140 kilometres of new pipe to Enbridge’s existing 2,900-kilometre Westcoast Pipeline. Ebel said that’s enough natural gas to generate power for 1.5 million homes.
Enbridge plans to build 11 looping segments parallel to the existing pipeline, and also boost throughput through compression and other upgrades. The Sunrise project is using Canadian melted and poured steel supplied by InterPro Pipe and Steel in Saskatchewan.
The federal government approved the Sunrise Expansion in April.
Tim Hodgson, the federal natural resources minister, said the quick timeline shows how “Canada has gone from delay to delivery while not losing sight of environmental protection or Indigenous rights and partnerships.”
Canadians have asked whether the country “can still get big things done” and attract the investment it needs, he added.
“Standing here today, I think the answer to those questions is clear: Canada can build big things, Canada will build big things and Canada is building big things today.
Enbridge first announced the expansion four years ago. It was not one of the major projects to be reviewed under an expedited federal process established last year, as it was already well advanced.
- 0131 SASPO-2874_Self Serve Campaig0131 SASPO-2874_Self Serve Campaig
- 0130 SKTL_Starlink_Ranch_16x9_Clean0130 SKTL_Starlink_Ranch_16x9_Clean
- 0129 Turnbull drivers operators0129 Turnbull drivers operators
- 0128 OSY Rentals updated0128 OSY Rentals updated
- 0126 Steel_Reef_Promo_0126 Steel_Reef_Promo_
- 0125 SASPO-2896_Right of Way_Awareness_20250125 SASPO-2896_Right of Way_Awareness_2025
- 0118 IBEW 30 sec0118 IBEW 30 sec
- 0114 Prospera Bold Vision0114 Prospera Bold Vision
- 0113 Miller Epic Cinematic Hollywood trailer0113 Miller Epic Cinematic Hollywood trailer
- 0102 Lori Carr Coal Extended0102 Lori Carr Coal Extended
- 0099 Mryglod Steel 1080p0099 Mryglod Steel 1080p
- 0095 Fast Trucking nearly 70 years good at it0095 Fast Trucking nearly 70 years good at it
- 0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser
- 0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech
- 0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask
- 0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly
- 0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar
- 0041 DEEP Since 2018 now we are going to build0041 DEEP Since 2018 now we are going to build
- 0032 IWS Summer hiring rock trailer music
- 0022 Grimes winter hiring
- 0018 IWS Hiring Royal Summer
- 0013 Panther Drilling PO ad 03 top drive rigs
- 0002 gilliss casing services0002 gilliss casing services
- 9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX
- 9001
In April, after the federal go-ahead was announced, federal Conservative Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre said: “Oh, finally. It took them forever. This is an expansion of an existing project that took far too long for the Liberals to consider.”
On Monday, the federal government said Sunrise will help ensure supplies are available to liquefied natural gas export facilities on the West Coast while meeting local needs. Ebel said the resource moving through Sunrise will not be going offshore as liquefied natural gas; about half will be used domestically in B.C., while the rest will be exported via its Westcoast system to the U.S. Pacific Northwest.
Enbridge holds a 30 per cent stake in the Woodfibre LNG export terminal under construction in Squamish, B.C.
Last year, an alliance of 38 Indigenous communities in B.C. acquired a 12.5 per cent stake in the existing Westcoast. Enbridge has previously said those groups are not obligated to take on equity of the expansion, but have the option to do so.
Chief Dolleen Logan of the Lheidli T’enneh First Nation said the Sunrise project means more than just new infrastructure to Indigenous communities along its path.
“It reflects what is possible when First Nations are involved as partners from the beginning — not simply informed by engaging, but in shaping projects that will impact our lands and our communities.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 20, 2026.
— By Lauren Krugel in Calgary.
Companies in this story: (TSX:ENB)
- 0131 SASPO-2874_Self Serve Campaig0131 SASPO-2874_Self Serve Campaig
- 0130 SKTL_Starlink_Ranch_16x9_Clean0130 SKTL_Starlink_Ranch_16x9_Clean
- 0129 Turnbull drivers operators0129 Turnbull drivers operators
- 0128 OSY Rentals updated0128 OSY Rentals updated
- 0126 Steel_Reef_Promo_0126 Steel_Reef_Promo_
- 0125 SASPO-2896_Right of Way_Awareness_20250125 SASPO-2896_Right of Way_Awareness_2025
- 0118 IBEW 30 sec0118 IBEW 30 sec
- 0114 Prospera Bold Vision0114 Prospera Bold Vision
- 0113 Miller Epic Cinematic Hollywood trailer0113 Miller Epic Cinematic Hollywood trailer
- 0102 Lori Carr Coal Extended0102 Lori Carr Coal Extended
- 0099 Mryglod Steel 1080p0099 Mryglod Steel 1080p
- 0095 Fast Trucking nearly 70 years good at it0095 Fast Trucking nearly 70 years good at it
- 0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser
- 0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech
- 0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask
- 0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly
- 0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar
- 0041 DEEP Since 2018 now we are going to build0041 DEEP Since 2018 now we are going to build
- 0032 IWS Summer hiring rock trailer music
- 0022 Grimes winter hiring
- 0018 IWS Hiring Royal Summer
- 0013 Panther Drilling PO ad 03 top drive rigs
- 0002 gilliss casing services0002 gilliss casing services
- 9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX
- 9001