How To Actually Build A Pipeline

Episode 47 of the The Discourse podcast, hosted by The Discourse, titled "How To Actually Build A Pipeline" was published on June 12, 2025 and runs 52 minutes.

June 12, 2025 ·52m · The Discourse

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Summary

Four major pipelines. Billions in lost investment. A decade of political fights. And still, Canada can’t seem to build energy infrastructure. On this episode of The Discourse, Cheryl and Erika unpack why Canada keeps losing the pipeline wars and whether the political landscape may finally be shifting. With premiers suddenly talking about "economic corridors" and Mark Carney promising to fast-track projects, is there a narrow window for national energy projects to succeed? Joining the show is Gitane De Silva — former Deputy Minister in the Alberta government, former CEO of the Canada Energy Regulator, and someone who’s been inside the rooms where these make-or-break decisions happen. She pulls back the curtain on: Why so many projects (like Northern Gateway and Energy East) failed How First Nations consultation has (and hasn't) evolved What it would take to truly approve a major project in just two years The "chicken-and-egg" problem stopping private sector proponents from stepping up Plus: The political evolution of Wab Kinew, David Eby, and Danielle Smith on energy Cheryl and Erika debate who really "got a pipeline built" Why Alberta keeps demanding pipelines — and why the rest of Canada often tunes them out The famous bitumen bubble that still lives rent-free in Erika's head Advice to premiers ahead of the G7 summit — and how Trump’s temper still looms large

Episode Description

Four major pipelines. Billions in lost investment. A decade of political fights. And still, Canada can’t seem to build energy infrastructure.

On this episode of The Discourse, Cheryl and Erika unpack why Canada keeps losing the pipeline wars and whether the political landscape may finally be shifting. With premiers suddenly talking about "economic corridors" and Mark Carney promising to fast-track projects, is there a narrow window for national energy projects to succeed?

Joining the show is Gitane De Silva — former Deputy Minister in the Alberta government, former CEO of the Canada Energy Regulator, and someone who’s been inside the rooms where these make-or-break decisions happen. She pulls back the curtain on:

Why so many projects (like Northern Gateway and Energy East) failed
How First Nations consultation has (and hasn't) evolved
What it would take to truly approve a major project in just two years
The "chicken-and-egg" problem stopping private sector proponents from stepping up

Plus:

The political evolution of Wab Kinew, David Eby, and Danielle Smith on energy
Cheryl and Erika debate who really "got a pipeline built"
Why Alberta keeps demanding pipelines — and why the rest of Canada often tunes them out
The famous bitumen bubble that still lives rent-free in Erika's head
Advice to premiers ahead of the G7 summit — and how Trump’s temper still looms large