The Supreme Court of Canada has dismissed an appeal by the British Columbia government over the Trans Mountain pipeline.

Last May, the B.C. Court of Appeal ruled that the province could not regulate the contents of the pipeline. The province then took the case to the higher court.

After several hours of hearings, the Supreme Court came to the same conclusion as the B.C. Court of Appeal.

“The Supreme Court of Canada has upheld the rule of law and put an end to the British Columbia government’s campaign of obstruction against Alberta energy," says Alberta's Minister of Justice and Solicitor General Doug Schweitzer. "We are pleased that the court unanimously dismissed B.C.’s appeal of a 5-0 decision by the British Columbia Court of Appeal, which ruled the B.C. government does not have constitutional authority to stop the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion through delay, uncertainty and the likely prospect of future litigation. By ensuring that B.C. must respect the federal government’s rigorous process in approving TMX, this outcome will have major ramifications for the project and its profound importance to Albertans and all Canadians."

Schweitzer says the government expected the Supreme Court to come to this decision.

“British Columbia’s own top court was clear that the proposed law is ‘an… existential threat to a federal undertaking that is being expanded specifically to increase the amount of oil transported through British Columbia.’ The B.C. court’s decision was an affirmation of the unique economic union among Canada’s provinces," says Schweitzer, who adds the province is looking forward to the continued construction of TMX.

“Building the TMX and ensuring a fair price for our natural resources will create thousands of new jobs and increased prosperity that will benefit the entire country," Schweitzer says.

The project aims to twin a pipeline that already runs from Edmonton to Burnaby.

Alberta Energy Minister Sonya Savage says the higher court's decision is a huge win for the province, those who work in the oil and gas sector, and the country as a whole.

"The world needs more energy. The demand for oil and gas is growing across the world and there is no country in the world that is better positioned to meet that growing demand," says Savage, who praised the quick and decisive action by the Supreme Court.

Savage says she's optimistic TMX will go ahead.

"I think we've seen a clear commitment to it by the federal government to see it through, to get it built," says Savage. "I know Alberta's committed to it, it's got almost unanimous support of Indigenous groups and one of the very last court hurdles has been cleared."

There is still a legal challenge by Indigenous communities who feel they were not properly consulted about the project, however Savage anticipates similar rulings.

"I think the federal government has taken every possible step to meet that constitutional duty [to consult] and I expect that those cases will be dismissed too," says Savage.