Northern BC is heading into its busiest stretch of energy and port construction in years. In 2026 alone, crews broke ground on Enbridge’s $4 billion Sunrise Expansion, the first land contract was awarded on the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission pipeline, a $750 million export hub opened in Prince Rupert, and LNG Canada approved its $33 billion Phase 2. Taken together, these northern BC LNG projects run in a line from the gas fields near Chetwynd, through Mackenzie and the Pine Pass, to the north coast. Here is what is happening along that corridor, and what it means for the communities in it.

LNG Canada Phase 2 Is Approved

On September 29, 2026, LNG Canada and its partners made a final investment decision on Phase 2 of the Kitimat terminal. The $33 billion expansion doubles the plant to 28 million tonnes of LNG a year. The federal government calls it the second-largest single private investment in Canadian history, with more than 4,000 direct jobs during construction.

To supply the larger plant, TC Energy is moving ahead with Coastal GasLink Phase 2. Rather than a new pipeline, it adds compressor stations and upgrades along the existing 670 km route from the Dawson Creek area to Kitimat. About 2,100 workers are expected at peak across five sites, with construction starting in early 2027.

Chetwynd: Where Three Pipeline Programs Meet

Chetwynd sits at the start of the corridor. Enbridge’s Sunrise Expansion, under construction since July 2026, adds about 140 km of new pipeline to the Westcoast system between the Pine Pass and the US border, including new compressor units at Azouzetta Lake in the Pine Pass, west of town. Enbridge estimates more than 2,500 construction jobs, with in-service targeted for late 2028.

The first land segment of the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission (PRGT) pipeline also starts here. In August 2026, the Nisga’a Nation and Western LNG awarded the Surerus Murphy Joint Venture a contract for the 193 km stretch between Chetwynd and Mackenzie. Coal is still part of the local economy too, with Conuma’s Willow Creek mine operating near the Pine Pass.

One more factor: BC Hydro closed the large Site C worker camp in March 2026 as that project wraps up, and moved most of its beds to a transmission line project further west. That takes a big block of worker accommodation out of the Peace region just as the next wave of pipeline work begins.

Mackenzie: A Camp, a Pipeline Segment and Mine Growth

Mackenzie is right in the middle of the build. Enbridge plans temporary workforce camps for up to 700 workers in the Mackenzie area and 150 at Powder King, and Mackenzie council voted in August 2025 to support the camp. One Sunrise section runs roughly 80 km from north of Mackenzie to just south of Hixon, and the District has set up an online form so local suppliers, tradespeople and people with rooms or RV spaces to rent can connect with contractors.

The PRGT segment from Chetwynd ends at Mackenzie, and mining in the region is growing. In January 2026, the province approved the Mt. Milligan copper-gold mine expansion, extending its life from 2028 to 2035 and supporting 574 jobs. The same month, Centerra released a study for its Kemess project in northern BC, pointing to more than 700 workers and first production in the early 2030s. Council is also preparing short-term rental rules, noting that rental demand rises with major projects and industrial workers.

For a town whose economy was built on forestry, and that has been through mill closures, this is a meaningful new source of activity.

Prince Rupert and the North Coast: Record Port Growth

The Port of Prince Rupert moved a record 26.3 million tonnes of cargo in 2025, up 14 percent, and more than $3 billion in port projects are coming online from 2026. The biggest, the $750 million CANXPORT rail-to-container export facility on Ridley Island, opened in August 2026. Next door, AltaGas and Vopak’s Ridley Island Energy Export Facility is about 85 percent built, with start-up expected by March 2027.

Ksi Lisims LNG, the proposed $30 billion terminal on Pearse Island that the PRGT pipeline would supply, received its provincial and federal environmental approvals in 2025 and is targeting a final investment decision by the end of 2026. The coast is busy with visitors as well: Prince Rupert’s 2026 cruise season runs to about 54 ship calls, and the area’s sport fishing continues to draw anglers from around the world.

The pressure point is housing. Local reporting in July 2026 described rental vacancy in Prince Rupert as next to zero, with construction workers competing with residents for the few units available.

Timelines to Watch

• Enbridge Sunrise Expansion: under construction now, in service targeted for late 2028.
• Ridley Island Energy Export Facility: start-up expected by March 2027.
• Coastal GasLink Phase 2: construction from early 2027, in service early 2030s.
• PRGT and Ksi Lisims LNG: contracts awarded, final investment decision targeted for the end of 2026. Until that decision is announced, treat it as a strong project to watch rather than a sure thing.
• Mt. Milligan: mine life extended to 2035.

What It Means for Northern BC Commercial Property

Camps house most construction crews. The spin-off comes from everyone else: supervisors, inspectors, engineers, surveyors, environmental monitors, subcontractors, and early crews who arrive before a camp opens. They book hotel and motel rooms, stay at RV parks, eat in local restaurants, buy fuel and rent equipment. With several projects overlapping on the same corridor, that demand is set to run for years rather than a single season.

When you look at a northern BC opportunity, look at the full timeline of work within driving distance, not just this year’s headlines. Projects that are approved and under construction carry more weight than those still waiting on a final decision, and the best-positioned properties are close to highways, work sites and services.

BC Commercial Group currently has properties listed along this corridor:

• Chetwynd: The Lion Inn & Suites and The Red Lion Inn, two properties offered together: 19 kitchenette suites, plus 8 suites and a leased restaurant at The Red Lion
• Mackenzie: Williston Lake Lodge, a 24 unit motel
• Prince Rupert (Port Edward): Kinnikinnick Campground & RV Park, a year round cabin resort with four season cabins, huts, duplex suites and 27 RV sites

Related Articles

• Prince George and Highway 16 West: Projects Driving the North
• Valemount and the Robson Valley: Today’s Demand and the Next Pipeline

Sources

• Prime Minister of Canada: LNG Canada Phase 2 (September 29, 2026)
• TC Energy: Coastal GasLink Phase 2 to proceed
• Enbridge: Construction begins on the Sunrise Expansion Program
• CKPG: Construction begins on $4 billion Sunrise expansion
• District of Mackenzie: Council Highlights, August 11, 2025
• District of Mackenzie: Enbridge community opportunities
• Shipping Matters: Pipeline contracts awarded as Ksi Lisims LNG advances
• BC Hydro: Site C camp and North Coast Transmission Line
• Interior News: Mt. Milligan expansion approved
• Port of Prince Rupert: 2025 cargo volumes
• Transport Canada: CANXPORT grand opening
• Journal of Commerce: AltaGas export facility construction update
• The Skeena: Resource push meets housing crunch in northwest BC