A town hall is coming to Bonnyville on July 23, 2026, to help residents understand and push back against a massive carbon dioxide pipeline project that would cut through local farmland. The meeting runs from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM at the Bonnyville and District Centennial Centre, and it is open to everyone.
The event is put on by No CO2 Pipelines Alberta and Keepers of the Water. They want to talk about the Pathways Project, a plan by the Oil Sands Alliance to build more than 400 kilometres of pipeline. The lines would carry captured carbon dioxide from oilsands plants near Fort McMurray to an underground storage site near Cold Lake, Alberta.
The project got a big push on July 2, 2026, when the Alberta government, the federal government, and the Oil Sands Alliance struck a formal deal to move ahead. Final agreements are expected by November 15, 2026. The cost is now pegged at $20 billion to $30 billion, with taxpayers covering a large slice through federal investment tax credits.
At the town hall, speakers will lay out why they believe the pipeline is a bad deal for Bonnyville. Campaign organizer Amil Shapka and community engagement coordinator Nigel Robinson will discuss safety worries. They claim a CO2 leak or rupture could create a hazard zone stretching up to 20 kilometres, putting farms, water, and people at risk.
Opposition is also coming from First Nations. The Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation has demanded a federal environmental review, and several First Nations have gone to court saying they were not properly consulted. In 2024, the Alberta Energy Regulator decided no environmental assessment was needed, a move critics are still fighting.
For Bonnyville, a town of about 6,500 people whose economy relies on farming and oil, the pipeline route raises tough questions. Organizers say the town hall is a chance to learn what the project could mean for local land, water, and future, and to talk about how the community can make its voice heard before construction plans are locked in.
