Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced the first projects to be reviewed by Canada’s new Major Projects Office, a federal body created to fast-track what Ottawa calls nation-building developments across the country.
The office, launched last month, is designed to streamline regulatory assessments, structure financing, and work with provinces, territories, Indigenous Peoples and private investors. It is tasked with reducing approval timelines for projects of national interest to a maximum of two years under what officials call a “one project, one review” approach.
“At this moment of transformative change, Canada’s new government is focused on delivering major projects to connect our communities, empower Canadian workers, and build Canada’s strength,” Carney said Thursday in Edmonton. “With the first in a series of new projects, we will build big, build now, and build Canada strong.”
The first group of projects includes some of the country’s largest energy and infrastructure proposals. Among them are the second phase of LNG Canada in Kitimat, B.C., which would double liquefied natural gas production and become the world’s second-largest facility of its kind, and Ontario Power Generation’s Darlington New Nuclear Project, which would make Canada the first G7 nation to operate a small modular reactor. Other projects include an expansion of the Port of Montréal’s container terminal at Contrecœur, a new copper and zinc mine in east-central Saskatchewan in partnership with the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation, and a major expansion of the Red Chris copper mine in northwest B.C.
“These are the first of many projects to come, projects that will also ensure meaningful results, in partnership with the new Indigenous Advisory Council,” said Dominic LeBlanc, President of the King’s Privy Council and Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade, Intergovernmental Affairs and One Canadian Economy.
The federal government says the projects together represent more than $60 billion in investments and will create thousands of jobs. Ottawa also emphasized that all five have already cleared many regulatory hurdles and engaged extensively with Indigenous Peoples, provinces, local governments and other stakeholders.
Dawn Farrell, the CEO of the Major Projects Office, said the new system is meant to transform how approvals are handled. “This is a defining moment for Canada. To get to ‘one project, one review, one decision’ will set Canada apart globally and will attract enormous inflows of capital,” she said.
Energy and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson called the announcement a leap forward in building Canada into “an energy superpower and the strongest economy in the G7.” François-Philippe Champagne, the Minister of Finance and National Revenue, added that the government is “committed to making Canada into a clean and conventional energy superpower” by connecting regions and unlocking new industries.
The government also outlined a series of earlier-stage proposals the MPO will begin developing, including critical minerals projects such as Ontario’s Ring of Fire, a 60-gigawatt wind power initiative off Atlantic Canada, an Alberta-based carbon capture and storage network, and an Arctic economic and security corridor. Other proposals include a revitalization of the Port of Churchill in northern Manitoba and a 1,000-kilometre high-speed rail line from Toronto to Québec City.
“With the launch of the Major Projects Office, Canada is moving from vision to action,” Champagne said. “These transformative projects will not only create thousands of good jobs – they will connect regions, unlock new industries, and build Canada into the strongest economy in the G7.”
The government also introduced the Indigenous Advisory Council, which will work alongside the MPO to ensure reconciliation and partnership are embedded into all decisions. Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Rebecca Alty said major projects must deliver “lasting benefits for Indigenous Peoples – not just in words, but in jobs, ownership, and opportunities.”
Patty Hajdu, Minister of Jobs and Families, said the projects will rely on “Canadian talent and Canadian grit” from start to finish, while Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty stressed that Indigenous communities are not just stakeholders, but “full partners in Canada’s economy – shaping major projects and driving the path toward shared prosperity.”
The MPO was created under the Building Canada Act, which came into force in June. It has also set aside $40 million over two years to support Indigenous participation in the process and doubled the Indigenous Loan Guarantee Program to $10 billion.
Officials said the overall goal is to protect Canada’s economic sovereignty, diversify trade and investment, and give Canadian workers access to long-term, high-paying careers while ensuring projects respect the environment and Indigenous rights.
