Fast-track hopefuls: 7 projects vying for MPO attention

Project proponents are lining up to get the support of Canada’s recently launched Major Projects Management Office (MPMO).

The MPO was created under Canada’s Building Canada Act, which came into force on June 26, 2025, and was officially launched on August 29, 2025, with Dawn L. Farrell appointed as its first Chief Executive Officer. Its mandate is to accelerate planning, regulatory approvals, and financing for nation-building projects that are in Canada’s national interest, with a goal of reducing review timelines to a maximum of two years via a “one project, one review” approach.

Among the first projects referred to the MPO are LNG Canada Phase 2 in Kitimat, British Columbia (doubling LNG production); the Darlington New Nuclear Project in Bowmanville, Ontario (small modular reactors); the Contrecœur Terminal Container Project in Québec (expanding the Port of Montréal’s capacity by 60 %); the McIlvenna Bay Foran Copper Mine in Saskatchewan (copper/zinc, critical minerals); and the Red Chris Mine expansion in northwest British Columbia (increasing copper output, extending mine life).

Here are some of the major projects that are looking to get the fast-track treatment as well:

Offshore Wind in Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia’s government is strongly pushing for massive offshore wind projects—sometimes described as up to 50–60 gigawatts—to become part of the MPO’s next wave. The vision is to power domestic needs while exporting clean energy to the U.S. Northeast. Ottawa has signalled interest, but so far these wind farms were left out of the first five designated projects. Industry and provincial leaders continue to frame them as nation-building opportunities for Atlantic Canada.

Highway 401 Expansion and Tunnel Proposal

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has been publicly lobbying for federal support to expand and reconfigure Highway 401 through the GTA, potentially with new tunnel or expressway segments. Ford argues the project is essential for easing congestion and strengthening trade corridors. Though the MPO’s first projects didn’t include it, the premier has hinted he’s confident it will eventually get designated.

Port of Churchill and Northern Trade Corridor

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew wants to elevate the Port of Churchill from a seasonal shipping option into a four-season export hub for prairie commodities like grain, energy products, and critical minerals. The vision includes new rail, road, and icebreaking capacity. Kinew has pitched it as a strategic counter to U.S. tariffs by giving Western Canada direct access to European and global markets. Ottawa has acknowledged it as an early-stage MPO candidate.

Toronto–Québec City High-Speed Rail (Alto)

The long-discussed high-speed rail project linking Toronto, Ottawa, Montréal, and Québec City is seen as a transformative national infrastructure initiative. The Cadence consortium is working on proposals, and Ottawa has signalled the project is under active development. While it wasn’t among the MPO’s first tranche, media and industry coverage consistently place it on the shortlist of “next” projects.

Alberta Carbon Capture & Storage Network

The Pathways Alliance and Alberta government are advocating for a province-wide carbon capture and storage (CCS) network. The project would serve as critical backbone infrastructure for oil sands and heavy industry to meet emissions reduction targets. While new oil pipelines were excluded from the initial MPO list, CCS has been flagged as a likely future candidate, fitting Ottawa’s emphasis on industrial decarbonization.

Alberta-to-Prince Rupert Pipeline Concept

Premier Danielle Smith has promoted the idea of a new crude oil pipeline connecting Alberta’s resources to tidewater at Prince Rupert, B.C. This would diversify export routes beyond the U.S. market. However, federal officials avoided including oil pipelines in the first MPO wave, making this a politically charged but still actively lobbied concept.

Prairie Economic Gateway (Calgary)

The City of Calgary, led by Mayor Jyoti Gondek, has asked Ottawa to designate the Prairie Economic Gateway logistics hub as a project of national interest. The proposal would create a rail-served, industrial logistics super-hub to expand prairie trade capacity and strengthen national supply chains. While not yet formally adopted by the MPO, the lobbying effort underscores municipalities’ interest in tapping into the program.