Major Projects Office aims to accelerate approvals and unlock thousands of jobs in clean energy and mining
Canada is set to unlock more than $56bn in new investment and support 68,000 jobs with a fresh wave of “transformational” critical minerals and energy projects, according to Prime Minister Mark Carney.
BNN Bloomberg reports that the federal Major Projects Office (MPO) now oversees these projects. The MPO aims to accelerate Canada’s competitiveness and economic self-sufficiency, especially as global demand for clean energy and strategic minerals intensifies.
Among the newly referred initiatives are the North Coast Transmission Line in British Columbia, designed to deliver low-cost, clean electricity and improved telecommunications to West Coast communities, and the Ksi Lisims LNG facility on Pearse Island, BC, which aims to become Canada’s second-largest LNG plant and is led by the Nisga’a Nation.
The Canada Infrastructure Bank will provide a $139.5m loan to BC Hydro to help advance the transmission line, as reported by BNN Bloomberg.
Ontario’s Crawford Nickel Project, recommended by the provincial government, is set to produce nickel for batteries and green steel, with projected emissions 90 per cent below the global average, and is expected to create 4,000 new jobs, according to government backgrounders cited by CBC News.
Quebec’s Nouveau Monde Graphite’s Matawinie Mine and New Brunswick’s Sisson Mine, both included in the MPO list, will provide essential inputs for battery supply chains and high-strength steel production, respectively.
The MPO, established under Bill C-5, is tasked with streamlining and fast-tracking regulatory approvals for major nation-building projects, aiming to reduce approval timelines to a maximum of two years, as outlined by BNN Bloomberg.
Dawn Farrell, former CEO of Trans Mountain Corporation, leads the office, which coordinates permitting, Indigenous consultations, and investment attraction.
Political leaders have responded with both support and criticism.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford welcomed the focus on the Crawford project and called for further streamlining of federal approvals.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, however, described the MPO as an additional bureaucratic hurdle, arguing that it does not address the underlying delays in Canada’s permitting process.
Environmental groups have raised concerns, particularly regarding the Ksi Lisims LNG project, with Environmental Defence labelling it “harmful and unnecessary,” and the David Suzuki Foundation warning that LNG facilities “fuel the climate crisis”.
Carney emphasized that Indigenous participation is essential, stating that project approvals require local Indigenous communities to be involved as investors, and that the process does not guarantee approval if opposition remains.
With a combined value of $116bn for all projects referred since September, the federal government is positioning Canada to lead in clean energy and critical minerals, while navigating the challenges of environmental scrutiny and Indigenous rights, as reported by CBC News.
