Carney’s first five major projects include LNG, span across the country

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s long-anticipated first phase of nation-building projects includes a liquefied natural gas (LNG) expansion project and other potential projects that span from coast to coast to coast.

Carney announced the first five projects being recommended for approval in Edmonton on Thursday on the sidelines of the Liberal caucus retreat that is underway.

“By moving forward today, we won’t just catalyze new ports, energy corridors, other engines of progress. We’ll also open the bounds of Canada’s imagination about the future that we can build for each other,” Carney said Thursday.

The prime minister has previously touted the list of projects as a cornerstone piece of the federal government’s plan to bolster and insulate Canada’s economy amid an ongoing trade war with the United States.

CTV News obtained a document listing the projects prior to Thursday’s announcement.

LNG Canada Phase 2, based in Kitimat, B.C., is among the projects on the list. The expansion – which already had momentum to move ahead – would double Canada’s production of liquefied natural gas.

For years, former prime minister Justin Trudeau insisted there was no “business case” to export Canadian LNG to Europe. But in recent months, Carney and his government have been promoting Canadian LNG to new markets like Germany.

Energy and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson said in an interview with “The Vassy Kapelos Show” last month that “there are buyers” for Canadian LNG.

The other four projects on the list include:

• The Darlington New Nuclear Project in Bowmanville, Ont., that would make Canada the first G7 country to have an operational small modular reactor (SMR)
• The Contrecœur Terminal Container Project in Contrecœur, Qué., that would expand the Port of Montréal’s capacity by approximately 60 per cent
• The McIlvenna Bay Foran Copper Mine Project in east-central Saskatchewan
• The Red Chris Mine expansion in northwest British Columbia

According to the Prime Minister’s Office, these projects represent investments of more than $60 billion for the Canadian economy.

Carney is also identifying other projects that are in the early stages of planning, but the federal government wants to see further development before committing to building them:

• A Wind West Atlantic Energy project that would leverage more than 50 GWs of wind power potential in Nova Scotia
• Pathways Plus, an Alberta-based carbon capture, utilization and storage project
• An Arctic Economic Security Corridor that will support northern critical mineral projects and support defence and security in the North
• Port of Churchill Plus, which will upgrade the Port of Churchill in Manitoba
• The Alto High-Speed Rail, Canada’s first high-speed railway, spanning approximately 1,000 km from Toronto to Québec City

The Major Projects Office (MPO), which is being led by former CEO and chair of the board of directors of the Trans Mountain Corporation Dawn Farrell, will now move ahead to streamline and fast-track regulatory approval for the recommended projects, as well as help further develop the projects under consideration.

The MPO was established under Bill C-5 — dubbed the Building Canada Act by the Liberals — and aims to give government sweeping new powers to approve major projects of national interest. Bill C-5 passed Parliament in June.

When asked by reporters whether federal money will be used to finance the projects, Carney said “there will be some contributions,” describing it as “very modest.”

“We expect, with the vast majority of these projects, that federal dollars will catalyze many multiples of private dollars,” Carney said.

Asked how many projects will be completed in the next five years, Carney responded, saying “success means several things,” including shifting timelines for shovels in the ground and a “major increase in construction” overall.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre criticized Carney on Thursday, claiming he’s creating “a new bureaucracy in Ottawa.”

“He’s not permitted a single major mine, pipeline, nuclear plant or anything else,” Poilievre said. “What he’s done today 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.”

Pipeline not included in first phase of major projects

There is no pipeline as part of the first phase as no private company has come forward so far to develop one.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, who has been publicly advocating for a new pipeline from Alberta to B.C.’s North Coast, met with Carney in Edmonton on Wednesday evening.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Smith called her meeting with the prime minister “encouraging” and said he “really understands the issues.”

“I’ve seen that the Prime Minister’s talked about supporting both conventional and new energy, and I think we’re seeing that with some of these early announcements. I would just ask people to be patient,” Smith added.

Smith’s tone is in contrast to her previous criticism of the Liberal government under former prime minister Justin Trudeau and its approach to energy.

The federal government has said it would support a pipeline if there was consensus for one.

When asked by reporters whether any future pipeline would require a decarbonization plan, Carney would not answer directly, but said projects need to “advance our climate objectives.”

“It is no accident that the projects, for example, in the mining sector, or the LNG projects that we’re referring directly to the major project office, are low carbon,” Carney added.

On Thursday, Carney also reaffirmed that a second round of major projects would be unveiled by the Grey Cup in November.

With files from CTV News’ Spencer Van Dyk