EDITOR’S NOTE: This article originally appeared on Parliament Today, a Village Media website devoted exclusively to covering federal politics in Ottawa.
Prime Minister Mark Carney’s second round of major projects focuses on critical minerals, energy and natural gas — and includes one such initiative in Ontario.
The Canada Nickel’s Crawford Project, located about 42 kilometres north of Timmins, will be referred to Ottawa’s Major Projects Office (MPO), where it will benefit from expedited approvals and possible financial assistance. The project completed its public commentary period in February and has one major federal impact assessment left.
“Situated in the world’s second-largest nickel reserve, it will produce high-quality, low-carbon nickel essential for batteries and green steel,” Carney said in Terrace, B.C. Thursday.
“With projected emissions 90 per cent below the global average and the potential for a net-negative carbon footprint, Crawford will set the global standard for the future of responsible mining.”
The project is expected to have a mine ore production capacity of 240,000 tonnes per day and a mill ore input capacity of 120,000 tonnes per day. It would operate for about 41 years.
MPO CEO Dawn Farrell said that her office is “working to come up with processes” where permitting can run in parallel to speed up approvals.
“For many of our projects, they've been in development for quite a while,” she said when asked how the MPO could move the project, which is three years into its approval process, forward. “Our job is all about making sure that people get across the line, get everything they need to get built on time and on budget.”
A spokesperson for Ontario Premier Doug Ford said the province welcomes the inclusion of the Canada Nickel’s Crawford project, but then went on to say that “we need to work together to remove federal duplication for all projects.”
Specifically, the premier’s office mentioned the Ring of Fire, which was described in Carney’s speech as an “opportunity” the federal government is committed to, without offering specifics.
The Ksi Lisims LNG in British Columbia, which will include a new gas pipeline, electricity transmission line and floating LNG export facility, is also among the list of projects being given to the MPO. Carney said that Ottawa is working with the B.C. government to streamline approvals through a provincial environmental assessment and Indigenous consultation.
Officials say that Ksi Lisims will become Canada’s second-largest LNG facility with the capacity to export 12 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas per year “to new markets in Asia.”
The Iqaluit Nukkiksautiit Hydro Project, Nunavut’s first 100 per cent Inuit-owned hydro energy project, as well as the Northwest Critical Conservation Corridor in Northwest B.C. and the Yukon, are also on the list. This includes the North Coast Transition Line, which will see Canada’s Infrastructure Bank provide B.C. Hydro with a loan of just under $140 million.
The bank’s statutory capital envelope was increased by an additional $10 billion in Carney’s 2025 budget tabled last week, with instruction to “make investments in any nation-building projects that have been referred to the Major Projects Office, regardless of sector or asset class, as long as they fall within the Bank’s legal mandate.”
Other major projects include Nouveau Monde Graphite’s Matawinie Mine in Quebec and the Northcliffe Resources’ Sisson Mine in New Brunswick.
‘Not every project … will go forward’
The prime minister indicated that projects his government refers to the MPO may not all go forward.
Projects recommended to the MPO are reviewed and then returned to the government with recommendations. At that point, they are given a national interest designation.
“Not every aspect, not every project, not every mine will go forward,” Carney said, “because people have to be behind them and they have to be the right ones.”
The prime minister said the goal of the major projects office is to help ensure all processes leading up to “the final investment decision” happen in a timely manner.
“Referring to the MPO, the major projects office, does not mean the project is approved. It means that all the efforts are being put in place from the federal government in order to create the conditions so it could move forward.”
The comments were made in response to questions about Indigenous opposition to some of the projects, particularly the Ksi Lisims LNG.
Carney said that the first round of initiatives referred to MPO “represent more than $60 billion in investment” and the second round is expected to “double that impact.”
The first round included Ontario’s Darlington small nuclear reactor, an expansion to the Port of Montreal, Phase 2 of the LNG Canada liquefied natural gas terminal in B.C., the expansion of B.C.’s Red Chris mine and the McIlvenna Bay Foran Copper Mine Project in Saskatchewan.
All the projects have already undergone extensive work, with Ottawa promising to help them navigate the final regulatory hurdles towards completion.
When asked by reporters how being on MPOs radar has been beneficial for the first round of projects, Carney said that proponents have already said they appreciated “a single window” for approvals, financing support and Indigenous consultation.
“I can tell you personally from my experience in the last two months, just dealing with the proponents, it is very much appreciated,” he said.