Good morning. The federal government officially identified the proposed Alberta-B.C. pipeline as a project of national interest, spurring acclaim and discontent. More on that below, along with the latest price tag for a high-speed rail line between Toronto and Quebec City and another Canadian in space.

Ottawa’s designation of a proposed pipeline from Alberta to the West Coast as a project of national interest is the starting point for what will likely be intense consultations and negotiations with Indigenous communities along the route. Some First Nations leaders and environmental advocates have voiced concern and dismay.

The details: Prime Minister Mark Carney confirmed the designation yesterday during his visit to northern Alberta, the heart of oil country. Premier Danielle Smith and Indigenous leaders from the region, including Treaty 8 Grand Chief Trevor Mercredi, joined him at the announcement.

The context: The pipeline, now called Pacific Link, is the first project to receive the national-interest tag under the Building Canada Act. Next, stakeholders will be consulted during the federal review process about the project’s ownership, Indigenous rights and environmental protections.

What’s next: The Major Projects Office hopes to finalize conditions of the pipeline by next September and have it operational in 2032. It is expected to cost between $35.2-billion and $43.7-billion.

Opinions:

• This was the week Canada stopped shooting its oil patch in the foot, Tony Keller writes.
• Rachel Doran, president and executive director of Clean Energy Canada, questions if it’s sensible for the government to subsidize a pipeline.

Eager to rely less on the United States, Canada and the European Union plan to link next-generation payment systems to quicken cross-border transactions and make it easier and cheaper to do business. The pledge is outlined in a draft joint statement prepared for the Canada-EU summit that will be held at the end of October in Montreal.

The significance: Control over payment systems is indispensable to national sovereignty, Carney argued last month. In his address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, he said Canada and Europe should co-operate on a vast range of strategic capabilities, including payments.

The terminology: While not defined in the statement, a next-generation payment system generally refers to a major upgrade of a country’s core payment infrastructure, the system that settles payments between financial institutions.

The background: Strengthening ties with the EU is a mutual priority. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has proposed that Canada could become the first “associate member” of the 27-country bloc.

Joshua Kutryk blasted into space and touched down at the International Space Station, setting him up to be the fourth Canadian astronaut to undertake a long-haul mission. He is expected to be there for six months.

Landed: Colonel Kutryk and his crewmates – commander Jessica Watkins, pilot Luke Delaney and Russian cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov – arrived at ISS after leaving Kennedy Space Center at the appointed time, despite wet weather almost thwarting takeoff.

Branded: Kutryk is the first Canadian Space Agency astronaut to fly as part of NASA’s commercial crew program. The program taps private-sector partners, such as SpaceX, the orchestrator of this launch, to transport astronauts to and from the station.

As B.C.’s provincial campaign picks up, Gary Mason pinpoints the Conservatives’ main vulnerability.