Top Projects List highlights $343B in infrastructure work
Data shows much of that growth is coming from nuclear work.
$343 billion.
That’s how much money is being spent building large public infrastructure in Canada right now. Our sister publication, ReNew Canada, just released its Top 100 Projects report, highlighting that work and showing where those dollars are going. The project value represents a record-breaking one-year increase of $43 billion—the largest year-over-year jump in the report’s 20-year history.
The primary catalyst for this growth is the nuclear energy sector. Nearly $50B of the total value is attributed to just two Ontario nuclear initiatives: the Pickering Generating Station Refurbishment and the Darlington New Nuclear Project. Along with refurbishments at Bruce Power and Darlington, nuclear projects took four of the top six spots.
Despite the growth of nuclear, the transit sector remains the largest by value, with 25 projects totaling $123 billion. New transit work included Calgary’s relaunched Green Line LRT, Toronto’s Yonge-North Subway Extension, and the federal government’s Alto High-Speed Rail Network.
The $26B Pickering Generating Station Refurbishment project took first place on the list. Crews aim to extend the facility’s operation by up to 38 years. Expected to begin in early 2027 and finish by the mid-2030s, it will create roughly 30,500 jobs during construction and ultimately generate enough power for 2.2 million homes.
“The 2026 report marks a historic milestone for Canadian infrastructure,” said John Tenpenny, Editor of ReNew Canada. “The massive scale of investment in nuclear energy and the continued dominance of the transit sector demonstrate a national commitment to long-term energy security and sustainable urban mobility.”