EDMONTON – An expansion to the Port of Montreal and work to double liquefied natural gas production in B.C. are among the first five projects under consideration for fast-track approval through the federal government’s new major projects office.
Prime Minister Mark Carney said Thursday these are all viable projects that are “in the national interest.”
“The proponents behind each of these projects have already done much of the hard work,” Carney told a press conference in Edmonton. “They’ve undertaken already extensive consultations with Indigenous peoples, consultations that meet the standards of existing legislation.”
The first major projects list includes five projects that will be considered for speedy approval by the government’s major projects office, and another five that require further development.
The projects up for fast-track approval include a first-of-its kind small modular reactor in Clarington, Ont., a new copper and zinc mine in Saskatchewan and an expansion of the Red Chris Mine copper operation in northwestern B.C.
These projects represent more than $60 billion in investment, said Carney.
The prime minister said the projects are “very advanced” and the major projects office will help shepherd them past the final regulatory hurdles.
Carney said it’s “no accident” these mining and LNG projects are on the list because they meet environmental goals set out in law.
The prime minister said the timeline for granting final approval to the fast-tracked projects will be no longer than two years.
The Prime Minister’s Office said the LNG Canada Phase 2 project in Kitimat, B.C. would double Canada’s liquefied natural gas production and open a pathway for approval of other liquefied natural gas projects.
Projects identified for future development include enhancements to the Port of Churchill in Manitoba, a proposed high-speed rail line between Toronto and Québec City, a 50-gigawatt wind energy project in Nova Scotia and an Alberta-based carbon capture and storage project.
Once complete, Carney said the carbon capture facility could lead to a “decarbonized” pipeline project. At this point, there is no private-sector proponent for a new oil pipeline.
The projects listed for future development, which include plans for all-weather road projects in Northern Canada to support potential critical mineral development, cover all of Canada’s main regions.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said she still wants to see a pipeline built to the B.C. coast and the repeal of laws she said are “impacting the investment climate” in Alberta.
“It’s taking us a little bit of time to work through that but we’re making great progress,” Smith told a news conference Thursday. “I understand that the prime minister is looking for a next tranche of major projects to be announced by Grey Cup and I’m hopeful that by then we’ll be able to have something to share.”
Smith posted on social media Thursday morning she had an “exceptionally productive” meeting with Carney on Wednesday and she is “more optimistic than ever that the concerns of Albertans are finally being heard.”
But the federal Conservatives were far less enthusiastic about the announcement. They say Ottawa is blocking far more projects than it’s looking to push through, and argue the new major projects office is nothing more than another layer of bureaucracy.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said that all Carney has done to date is “announce that he’s going to send an email to an office that isn’t even fully staffed up yet, which will one day consider, possibly, approving five projects.”
“This is pathetic,” he told a press conference in Woodbridge, Ont.
Poilievre said his party will propose legislation in the fall aimed at repealing Justin Trudeau-era laws which he said stifle development, such as the industrial carbon price. The Conservatives supported the accelerated passage of Bill C-5, the Liberals’ major projects bill, in the spring.
Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston thanked Carney for putting the Wind West project on the future development list, posting on social media that the project would put millions of dollars into the economies of Atlantic Canada, Quebec and Ontario.
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said at a press conference in Winnipeg he was pleased to see the Port of Churchill included on the future projects list, and to hear the federal government talking about building more icebreakers for Hudson Bay.
Kinew said he is working with Indigenous leaders to ensure they are on board with further development at the port and he anticipates the next stage beginning “this fall.”
“We’re making sure our due diligence is strong and questions about the environment are going to be really, really front of mind” he said. “Over the coming months, I think you’re going to get really excited about the vision as we announce this thing and build it out publicly.”
The major projects office will be tasked with finding ways to help grow the critical minerals sector and secure more investment in such mining projects within the next two years — including the Ring of Fire in Ontario.
A statement from Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s office, sent by spokesperson Hannah Jensen, said the province welcomes the federal government’s support on modular reactors but “expects that the same streamlined federal approvals will be extended to the new large-scale nuclear facilities Ontario is building.”
The statement also said Ottawa “needs to urgently join Ontario in speeding up approvals for critical mineral projects, including by building all-seasons roads to the Ring of Fire.”
The environmental organization Greenpeace Canada contends that Carney should instead be prioritizing housing, the cost of living and addressing climate change, rather than doubling down on LNG exports.
Bill C-5, which moved through Parliament at lightning speed in the spring, is meant to streamline and speed up approvals for large infrastructure projects as the federal government looks to shore up an economy under heavy pressure from U.S. tariffs.
A group of lawyers has filed a legal challenge to Bill C-5 in Quebec Superior Court arguing the fast-tracked legislation gives government excessive power and overrides democratic and environmental safeguards.
Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc was asked about the court challenge in Montreal on Thursday, where he was promoting the development of the Contrecœur Terminal container facility.
LeBlanc said Ottawa has “taken note” of the challenge but Canadians gave the Liberals a mandate to expedite nation-building projects in the spring election.
“We believe Bill C-5 … obviously is constitutionally valid. We will make that case in any court case,” he said.
— With files from David Baxter and Craig Lord in Ottawa
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2025.
