What the New West Coast Pipeline Could Mean for Workforce Travel and Lodging

Canada's proposed new West Coast pipeline could become one of the country's largest infrastructure projects in decades.

For companies involved in pipeline construction, it could also mean thousands of workers moving through remote and regional markets, putting new pressure on workforce travel and lodging.

On July 2, the Government of Canada and Government of Alberta announced plans to advance a proposed West Coast oil pipeline that could transport up to one million barrels of oil per day from Alberta toward the B.C. coast for export to global markets.

The project is still in the proposal and approval stage. But if it moves forward, its size and multi-year construction timeline could create a significant workforce travel requirement across Western Canada.

Sizing Up the Opportunity

The potential scale is significant.

The Government of Canada estimates that the proposed pipeline and related Pathways Carbon Capture Project could support approximately 175,000 jobs across Canada during construction and operations.

Up to 140,000 of those jobs are estimated to be associated with the pipeline itself.

Those numbers are projections, not guaranteed job counts. But they provide a sense of the potential workforce involved.

And this wouldn't be a short-term construction push.

Alberta government estimates put construction spending for the pipeline and related upstream activity at $70 billion to $81 billion between 2026 and 2038, with completion targeted for the early 2030s.

What This Could Mean for Crews on the Ground

Pipeline construction presents a unique lodging challenge.

The work doesn't happen at one permanent job site. It moves.

As crews progress along a corridor, their accommodation requirements can change with them.

A project might need:

• A large surveying crew in one community
• A smaller specialized team somewhere else
• Hundreds of workers during a major construction phase
• Fewer workers once that phase is complete

That creates a moving target for the teams responsible for workforce travel.

A broader pipeline buildout

The proposed West Coast pipeline isn't the only major pipeline development to watch.

In the U.S., the proposed Bridger Pipeline Expansion received a presidential permit in April 2026. The approximately 645-mile project would carry up to 550,000 barrels of Canadian crude per day through Montana and Wyoming, although additional approvals are still required.

For workforce travel teams, the bigger takeaway is simple:

Large infrastructure projects can create large, mobile workforces, often in markets that aren't equipped to absorb them easily.

Many pipeline projects operate through rural and regional communities where hotel inventory is already limited.

A sudden influx of workers can quickly absorb available rooms, particularly when several contractors are working in the same area.

And when crews move to the next phase, travel teams need to do more than find new rooms.

They may also need to:

• Cancel or reduce rooms that are no longer required
• Find new accommodation closer to the next work area
• Coordinate different crew arrival and departure dates
• Manage extended stays and changing schedules
• Keep track of bookings across multiple contractors

Without centralized visibility, those changes can quickly become an administrative headache.

When Multiple Contractors Need the Same Rooms

Large infrastructure projects rarely involve one company.

Multiple contractors and subcontractors may be working along the same corridor, each managing their own crews and accommodation.

That can create another challenge.

Two companies can end up competing for the same limited hotel inventory without realizing it.

The result can be higher rates, fewer available rooms and more time spent coordinating accommodation.

For project and travel teams, visibility becomes just as important as availability.

How LodgeLink Supports Pipeline Projects

Workforce travel supports pipeline projects and solves a few interconnected problems that unfold at scale.

As these pipelines move from approvals to shovels in the ground, the teams managing crew travel will be balancing centralized booking, extended-stay options and real-time visibility, all while staying flexible for the schedule changes that come with a multi-year project.

LodgeLink's platform simplifies booking and management, payment and reconciliation, and gives project teams the visibility to analyze, control and plan workforce travel as demand shifts along the corridor.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the West Coast pipeline approved?

Not yet. The proposed pipeline has been referred to Canada's Major Projects Office, with a decision on national-interest designation expected by October 1, 2026. Additional regulatory, financing, consultation and other requirements would still need to be addressed before construction could begin.

When could construction begin?

The Canada-Alberta agreement identifies September 1, 2027 as a potential construction start date, assuming the required conditions and approvals are met.

How many workers could the pipeline require?

The Government of Canada estimates that the proposed pipeline and related Pathways Project could create approximately 175,000 jobs across Canada during construction and operations. This is a projection across the broader projects and economy, rather than a direct estimate of workers travelling to individual project sites.

Where would crews need accommodation?

The exact accommodation footprint will depend on the final route, construction schedule and contractor plans. However, a long-distance pipeline project could create lodging demand across multiple communities as work progresses along the corridor.

Why is workforce travel different for pipeline projects?

Pipeline projects are geographically dispersed and develop in phases. Crew sizes, locations and schedules can change significantly as work progresses, making flexible lodging and centralized visibility particularly important.

How can LodgeLink help with pipeline crew lodging?

LodgeLink helps companies manage workforce lodging across remote and regional markets, including booking, changes, extended stays, payment and reporting. The platform is designed to help travel and operations teams manage accommodation as crews and project requirements change.