Carney announces second round of ‘nation building’ projects

Key Takeaways:

• Over $116 billion in major energy, mining and infrastructure projects are now under the Major Projects Office.
• Northwest B.C., the Yukon and Nunavut emerge as focal points for new grids, corridors and northern clean power.
• Ottawa is doubling down on LNG and critical minerals as core export and industrial drivers, with strong emphasis on low-carbon projects and Indigenous partnerships.

The Whole Story:

The federal government has unveiled a second wave of major projects it says will reshape Canada’s energy, mining and infrastructure landscape, adding more than $56 billion in investments to a growing pipeline of nation-building work across the country.

The announcement builds on Budget 2025: Canada Strong, a plan the government says is aimed at shifting the economy away from reliance on a single trade partner and toward more diversified, self-sufficient growth. At the centre of the strategy is the Major Projects Office (MPO), created under the Building Canada Act to speed approvals for large, complex projects such as ports, mines, transmission lines and LNG facilities.

Taken together, the first and second tranches of projects now referred to the MPO represent more than $116 billion in investment. Ottawa says those projects, alongside broader tax measures and industrial strategies, are part of an effort to mobilise more than $1 trillion in public and private investment over the next five years and create tens of thousands of new careers.

A major focus of the latest announcement is the Northwest Critical Conservation Corridor in northwest British Columbia and the Yukon. The corridor sits atop large deposits of critical minerals and is expected to require new transmission lines, highway upgrades, fibre and cell towers, and investments in communities, ports and railway lines.

In support of that corridor, Ottawa has referred the North Coast Transmission Line in northwest B.C. to the MPO. The project would twin major transmission lines, providing low-cost, clean electricity and improved telecommunications to communities along the West Coast and tying together developments in the corridor.

The Canada Infrastructure Bank has announced a $139.5-million loan to BC Hydro to support early stages of the North Coast Transmission Line. The government says the project will enable new industrial development, including the Ksi Lisims LNG facility and critical mineral projects in the Golden Triangle, while reducing emissions by up to three million tonnes a year and creating thousands of full-time careers.

Ksi Lisims LNG, located on Pearse Island in B.C. and led by the Nisga’a Nation, has also been referred to the MPO. The project is expected to become Canada’s second-largest LNG facility and, once fully electrified, one of the world’s lowest-emission LNG operations, with emissions the government says will be 94 per cent below the global average.

The LNG development is projected to attract nearly $30 billion in investment and create thousands of skilled careers. The referral also covers the 800-kilometre Prince Rupert Gas Transmission Project to supply feed gas to the plant and a 95-kilometre electrical transmission line to power the facility. Ottawa says getting projects like Ksi Lisims LNG and LNG Canada 2 built would more than double the country’s LNG production.

The government is also leaning on the MPO to accelerate critical mineral projects tied to its clean-energy and manufacturing plans. Earlier this month, as part of its Critical Minerals Strategy, Ottawa and its G7 partners announced 26 investments, partnerships and other measures the government says will help unlock $6.4 billion in critical mineral projects and position Canada as a secure supplier.

Three additional critical mineral projects have now been referred to the MPO. Canada Nickel’s Crawford Project near Timmins, Ont., is located in what the government describes as the world’s second-largest nickel reserve and is expected to produce low-carbon nickel for batteries and green steel. Ottawa says projected emissions are 90 per cent below the global average, with potential for a net-negative carbon footprint. The mine is forecast to attract $5 billion in investment and create thousands of new careers.

In Quebec, Nouveau Monde Graphite’s Matawinie open-pit mine near Saint-Michel-des-Saints is expected to supply graphite for defence applications and battery supply chains. The project is designed to integrate with the planned Bécancour Battery Material Plant, drawing about $1.8 billion in investment and creating more than 1,000 careers, according to the government.

Northcliff Resources’ Sisson Mine in New Brunswick has also been referred. The Sisson Brook project would produce tungsten, a critical mineral used in high-strength steel, defence and other industrial applications. With global tungsten markets described as highly concentrated, Ottawa says the mine has the potential to make Canada a secure supplier for domestic and allied industries and create hundreds of new careers.

The government argues that unlocking these and other deposits in areas such as the Ring of Fire, Fosse du Labrador and northern B.C. will draw in “hundreds of billions of dollars” in additional investment. It also says the projects will support high-paying work for miners, carpenters and engineers and expand partnership and equity-ownership opportunities for First Nations.

In the North, the Iqaluit Nukkiksautiit Hydro Project has been referred to the MPO as Nunavut’s first fully Inuit-owned hydro energy project. The government says the development will replace about 15 million litres of imported diesel annually, providing emissions-free power to Iqaluit, building community resilience and creating new construction and operations jobs.

Prime Minister Mark Carney said the government is using the MPO and Budget 2025 to send a clear signal to industry and workers that the country is entering a major building phase.

“Faced with uncertainty, Canada’s new government is making bold choices to grow our economy stronger than ever before – with major investments, faster approvals, and a clear signal to workers and industry: it’s time to build,” Carney said in the announcement. “We are building sustainably, in partnership with Indigenous Peoples, and we are building Canadian, with Canadian workers, materials, and expertise.”

Dominic LeBlanc, the minister responsible for Canada-U.S. trade, internal trade and what the government calls One Canadian Economy, framed the strategy as a shift in how the country manages its resource base and energy system.

“Canada is moving from reliance to resilience,” LeBlanc said. “By developing our critical mineral deposits, our clean electricity production, and our LNG export capacity, we are unleashing Canada’s economic potential and securing long-term prosperity for all Canadians.”

The MPO was launched on Aug. 29, 2025, under the leadership of chief executive officer Dawn Farrell, who the government says brings extensive experience in the energy and infrastructure sectors. Ottawa says the office is intended to accelerate approvals for major projects and support the wider Climate Competitiveness Strategy, which includes expanded Clean Economy Tax Credits to make it more affordable to mine critical minerals and modernise the electricity grid.

At this year’s G7 Summit in Kananaskis, the federal government also launched the Critical Minerals Production Alliance and a Critical Minerals Action Plan, a Canadian-led effort to coordinate production and spur global investment.

Here’s more info on all the new projects recieving support from the MPO:

Northwest Critical Conservation Corridor – Northwest B.C. and Yukon

The Northwest Critical Conservation Corridor in northwest British Columbia and the Yukon has been referred to the Major Projects Office as a nation-building initiative focused on critical minerals and clean power. While the announcement does not provide a specific capital cost, Ottawa says the corridor will require new transmission lines, highway upgrades, fibre and cell towers, and investment in communities, ports and rail to unlock world-class deposits, with the MPO coordinating development while upholding Indigenous rights and supporting Indigenous project leadership.

North Coast Transmission Line – Northwest British Columbia

The North Coast Transmission Line in northwest British Columbia has been referred to the MPO as a backbone project to deliver low-cost, clean electricity and improved telecommunications along the West Coast and through the Northwest Critical Conservation Corridor. The Canada Infrastructure Bank is supporting early stages of the project with a $139.5-million loan to BC Hydro, and the twinned transmission lines are expected to enable new industrial projects such as Ksi Lisims LNG and critical minerals developments in the Golden Triangle, while cutting emissions by up to three million tonnes annually.

Ksi Lisims LNG – Pearse Island, British Columbia

Ksi Lisims LNG, a Nisga’a Nation-led facility on Pearse Island, B.C., has been referred to the MPO and is expected to attract nearly $30 billion in investment as Canada’s second-largest LNG project. The federal announcement highlights it as a fully electrified, low-emission export terminal, supported by the referral of the 800-kilometre Prince Rupert Gas Transmission Project and a 95-kilometre electrical transmission line, with Ottawa positioning the project within its LNG and clean-energy strategy to more than double national LNG production.

Canada Nickel’s Crawford Project – Timmins, Ontario

Canada Nickel’s Crawford Project near Timmins, Ont., has been referred to the MPO as a flagship critical minerals development in what the government describes as the world’s second-largest nickel reserve. The mine is expected to attract about $5 billion in investment and create thousands of new careers producing low-carbon nickel for batteries and green steel, with Ottawa tying the project to its Critical Minerals Strategy and broader Climate Competitiveness Strategy aimed at supporting clean industrial materials.

Nouveau Monde Graphite’s Matawinie Mine – Saint-Michel-des-Saints, Québec

Nouveau Monde Graphite’s Matawinie open-pit mine near Saint-Michel-des-Saints, Que., has been referred to the MPO as a key graphite source for defence and battery supply chains. The project, which is expected to draw $1.8 billion in investment and create more than 1,000 careers, is being integrated with the planned Bécancour Battery Material Plant and is framed by the federal government as part of its critical minerals and clean-technology manufacturing push.

Northcliff Resources’ Sisson Mine – Sisson Brook, New Brunswick

The Sisson Mine near Sisson Brook, N.B., has been referred to the MPO to advance tungsten production for high-strength steel, defence and industrial applications. While the announcement does not list a project value, Ottawa says the development will create hundreds of new careers and help Canada become a secure tungsten supplier for domestic and allied industries, aligning it with federal efforts to diversify critical mineral supply chains.

Iqaluit Nukkiksautiit Hydro Project – Iqaluit, Nunavut

The Iqaluit Nukkiksautiit Hydro Project in Iqaluit, Nunavut, has been referred to the MPO as Nunavut’s first 100 per cent Inuit-owned hydro project and a cornerstone of Arctic sovereignty and sustainability. No capital cost was disclosed in the announcement, but the federal government says the project will replace about 15 million litres of imported diesel each year, deliver emissions-free power, and create new construction and operations jobs, with its referral signalling priority support for northern clean-energy infrastructure.