The Globe and Mail reports in its Thursday edition that the British Columbia government supports a plan to boost Alberta crude oil transport to the West Coast by increasing the Trans Mountain pipeline capacity by over half a million barrels per day, expected to take effect by 2026. The Globe's Justine Hunter and Emma Graney write that the government has sharply reversed its stance on the TMX expansion, which it initially opposed due to concerns about increased shipping traffic endangering B.C.'s marine environment. The turnaround is part of B.C.'s effort to counter pressure from Alberta for an entirely new pipeline. While Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Ottawa appear close to a deal that would pave the way for an oil pipeline from Alberta to the northwest coast of B.C. The province's Energy Minister, Adrian Dix, says the plan is economic folly. Now he is championing the TMX optimization plan, and has urged his Crown-owned utility, BC Hydro, to engage in talks with the pipeline company to support the project. The province has also given a green light to the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority to dredge the Second Narrows waterway to allow tankers to load more oil at the Trans Mountain marine terminal in Burnaby.