François Legault raises possibility of pipeline in northern Quebec

Quebec Premier François Legault answers the opposition during question period at the Quebec National Assembly on Thursday, May 1, 2025. (The Canadian Press/Jacques Boissinot)

Quebec Premier François Legault remains open to pipeline projects in response to the tariff war led by Donald Trump, arguing he senses growing openness among Quebecers.

He even mentioned a potential project that would pass through the northern part of the province and end at the port of Sept-Îles.

“There are projects like that which would have been unthinkable before Trump,” said the premier during a more than 90-minute interview on the podcast Contact hosted by Stéphan Bureau.

“Quebecers are saying, ‘There’s no way Trump is going to control the oil we produce in Alberta.’ So, can we export it to Europe through Quebec instead of being stuck with Trump? There’s openness. I feel things are shifting,” the premier added.

Quebec rejected the GNL Québec project in Saguenay in 2021. Ottawa did the same in 2022. The Energy East project, which aimed to transport oil from Alberta to New Brunswick, was cancelled in 2017.

“What are we doing for our economy?”

The tone around the issue has changed both in Quebec and in Ottawa since Trump came to power. Canada’s new Prime Minister, Mark Carney, has signaled his openness to new pipeline projects.

“For a while, even we are going to keep using oil in our cars. Of course, we need to save the planet, and we do want to make a transition eventually. But in the short term, we also need to acknowledge that we have access to resources that, for now, are being somewhat shunned by Mr. Trump but could be of interest to other countries,” Legault said in the interview, published Thursday morning.

“The key word isn’t just decarbonization anymore — it’s what are we doing for our economy?” he added.

Speaking to reporters in Alma later on Thursday, the premier clarified that “we’re a long way from a concrete project” and that any potential environmental assessments would not be skipped.

“We remember there have been past projects that crossed several rivers. We need to look at the impacts, and then look at the benefits. What’s positive in each of the projects, if any concrete ones are put forward,” he said.

Dirty oil

Québec solidaire denounced Legault’s openness to “dirty oil pipelines.”

“There is no social acceptability for these bad projects. The climate emergency demands that we move on from the oil industry and focus on a just transition, without compromise. François Legault must defend Quebec’s interests, and pipelines are not in Quebec’s interest,” wrote Québec solidaire co-spokesperson Ruba Ghazal on X.

Asked about the issue Thursday, Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet pointed to comments made by former federal environment minister Steven Guilbeault (now responsible for Official Languages and Culture).

“Mr. Guilbeault was quite clear yesterday in saying that he sees no market and no promoter for such a project, which makes it irrelevant… I’m much more in agreement with Mr. Guilbeault in this case,” Blanchet said.

CAQ can survive without Legault

The premier reiterated that he wants to seek a third mandate to finish the work he’s started.

He also said he has the support of his 86 MNAs, even as the government prepares for a tough battle with physicians. The government wants to reform how doctors are paid, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from the medical community.

At the same time, Legault said he is “convinced” that the party he founded in 2011, the Coalition Avenir Québec, can survive without him. He declined, however, to name any potential successors.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on May 15, 2025.

Thomas Laberge, The Canadian Press