The federal government has approved a $4-billion expansion of Enbridge Inc.’s West Coast pipeline. The Sunrise Expansion Program will build 139 kilometres of new pipeline in British Columbia, parallel to the existing infrastructure, adding up to 300 million cubic feet a day of capacity to the natural gas transmission system. The government said the added capacity will help ensure enough gas supply as LNG export facilities like Woodfibre LNG come online. “This project will enable us to heat more homes, businesses, hospitals and schools while bolstering British Columbian industry, including for LNG, and creating thousands of jobs,” Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Tim Hodgson said Friday in a news release. During the height of construction, the project is expected to create 2,500 jobs. Once completed, Natural Resources Canada says the pipeline is expected to add $3 billion to Canada’s gross domestic product and $700 million in new tax revenue. World watches as Ottawa's bullish shift on LNG puts wind at the back of two major projectsMajor LNG terminal and gas pipeline headline Ottawa's nation-building projects list “It is proof that, in partnership with industry and Indigenous partners, we can strengthen energy security and price stability and create new international trade opportunities while meeting rigorous environmental and safety standards,” said Hodgson. The Canada Energy Regulator approved the project, subject to 47 binding conditions addressing environmental, safety and Indigenous engagement concerns. Construction is expected to begin this summer.