Carney Pledges $1.2 Billion for Ocean Protection Ahead of Pipeline Decision

Prime Minister Mark Carney announced $1.2 billion in federal funding for ocean protections on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026, as CityNews Toronto first reported. The announcement comes as Ottawa approaches a deadline to decide if a proposed pipeline from Alberta to the south coast of British Columbia should be designated a project of national interest.

Reporting from CityNews Toronto indicates the announcement came just ahead of a Thursday deadline. Carney stated the proposed pipeline would create nearly 150,000 jobs and reduce Canadian dependence on the United States, though he acknowledged that increased shipping would put more pressure on marine habitats.

The $1.2 billion package includes funding for a marine mammal oil spill response plan, a national near-shore weather forecasting system, and expanded monitoring capacity for the Canadian Coast Guard. Additionally, Carney announced $100 million to mitigate underwater noise affecting endangered southern resident killer whales and $90 million for modernized fisheries enforcement tools, including drones.

The environmental push coincides with other major industrial developments. LNG Canada has confirmed a Phase 2 expansion of its Kitimat, B.C. facility, and Carney has previously indicated Ottawa would provide approximately $10 billion for the expansion of the Port of Vancouver’s Roberts Bank terminal to diversify exports.

While Samuel Schooner, president of Coastal First Nations, welcomed the funding as a step toward managing increased vessel traffic, the Wilderness Committee criticized the investment. The group described the $1.2 billion as "pennies" relative to the $10 billion earmarked for the Roberts Bank expansion and argued that the government’s proposed bill C-39 undermines protections for species at risk.