Federal Government: 1) Here are the first major projects on Ottawa’s fast-track list; 2) Carney’s major project list includes LNG development, nuclear power, 3) Federal government says it has found almost 500 ways to cut red tape; 4)mining Ontario drove Carney’s decision to suspend EV mandate: B.C. Energy Minister Dix; 5)Ford believes Carney will designate Highway 401 tunnel as ‘national interest’ project
1) Here are the first major projects on Ottawa’s fast-track list
Courtesy Barrie360.com and Canadian Press
By Sammy Hudes, September 11, 2025
Prime Minister Mark Carney named the first five projects on the federal government’s fast-track list on Thursday — part of his plan to attract outside investment and bolster the Canadian economy.
The projects include planned energy development, mining and port infrastructure projects from the West Coast to Central Canada.
The government also released an expanded list of projects not quite ready for prime time that includes additional initiatives in Eastern Canada and the North.
The first five initiatives will be referred for review to the new Major Projects Office, which the government says will offer recommendations and help to structure financing and consensus among major stakeholders.
Ottawa says projects recommended by the office will have a maximum approval timeline of two years.
Carney said the projects shepherded by the new office must advance Canadian and Indigenous economic interests and have a high likelihood of being completed.
Here’s what you need to know about the first five shortlisted projects under Ottawa’s Building Canada Act.
Phase II of LNG Canada — Kitimat, B.C.
LNG Canada is the country’s first large-scale liquefied natural gas exporter. It came online earlier this year.
The company says its first phase has the capacity to export 14 million tonnes of LNG per year.
LNG Canada is planning to scale up with a second phase that Ottawa says would double the plant’s production capacity.
The federal government describes LNG Canada as a pathway to delivering low-carbon Canadian energy to meet demand in Europe and Asia.
The first of LNG Canada’s liquefied natural gas shipments was loaded onto a cargo ship and exported in late June. Ten shipments in total had departed as of last week, the company said.
Red Chris Mine expansion — Northwest British Columbia
Red Chris is a gold and copper mine about 80 km south of Dease Lake, B.C.
The mine’s expansion project involves a transition from open-pit to a block-cave mining method.
Ottawa says the expansion proposal would extend the mine’s lifespan by more than a decade and seek to boost Canada’s overall copper production by 15 per cent.
Three workers were trapped underground in the Red Chris mine for roughly 60 hours earlier this summer before a successful rescue attempt.
McIlvenna Bay copper mine project — Central Saskatchewan
Ottawa is eyeing a second copper mine in what the federal government calls one of Canada’s “richest mineral belts.”
Foran, the company that owns the McIlvenna Bay mine, 65 km southwest of Creighton, Sask., says the project sits on tonnes of copper and zinc.
The federal government announced a $41-million investment in Foran’s green expansion plans earlier this year.
The mining firm is looking to make McIlvenna Bay the first carbon-neutral copper project in Canada through the use of battery electric vehicles, heat recovery and water recycling programs. The federal government previously suggested the mine could become “a blueprint for responsible and sustainable mining.”
Ottawa also claims this project would strengthen Canada’s position as a global supplier of critical minerals for clean energy and other modern infrastructure.
Darlington New Nuclear project — Clarington, Ont.
Ottawa says a planned project at Ontario’s Darlington nuclear facility will make Canada the first G7 country to have an operational small modular reactor.
These SMRs are designed to be factory-built and deployable for small-scale uses. Ottawa says the first of four planned SMRs at Darlington would provide enough energy to power 300,000 homes.
The federal government kicked off a Canada-wide SMR action plan five years ago, billing the new technology as a safe, clean and affordable energy source.
Ontario Power Generation pegs the budget for the entire four-unit project at $20.9 billion.
Contrecœur Terminal container project — Contrecœur, Que.
The first port project up for consideration is in Contrecœur, Que., where the federal government wants to use public lands to build new port facilities managed by the Montréal Port Authority.
Land for the project was acquired in the late 1980s and consultations on the project started over a decade ago.
The site is roughly 40 kilometres northeast of Montréal and would have a maximum annual capacity of 1.15 million containers. This expansion plan would boost the Port of Montréal’s capacity by roughly 60 per cent, Ottawa says.
Expanding the port will give Eastern Canada the infrastructure it needs to diversify Canada’s trade routes, the government says.
Additional projects
The federal government also announced additional projects and ideas up for consideration that need further development before they can be added to the fast-track list.
They include the Wind West Atlantic Energy project in Nova Scotia; Pathways Plus, an Alberta-based carbon capture, utilization and storage project; an Arctic economic and security corridor to support mining and defence in the North; upgrades to the Port of Churchill in Manitoba; and the Alto high-speed rail corridor project between Toronto and Quebec City.
Critical mineral projects more broadly are also identified as a top priority for the government as it pushes for more major project development. A backgrounder document released by the federal government identifies Ontario’s Ring of Fire as an example.
— with files from Ashley Joannou in B.C.
2) Carney’s major project list includes LNG development, nuclear power, mining
Courtesy Barrie360.com and Canadian Press
By Kyle Duggan, Sept. 11, 2025.
An expansion to the Port of Montreal and work to double liquefied natural gas production in B.C. are among five projects to be considered first for fast-track approval under the federal government’s major projects legislation.
Prime Minister Mark Carney said Thursday these projects are “in the national interest” and “feasible to be built.”
“The proponents behind each of these projects have already done much of the hard work. They’ve undertaken already extensive consultations with Indigenous peoples, consultations that meet the standards of existing legislation,” Carney said at a press conference in Edmonton.
The prime minister said the timeline for granting final approval to the fast-tracked projects will be no longer than two years.
The first major projects list includes five projects that will be considered for speedy approval by the government’s major projects office, and five additional projects that require further development.
The five projects up for fast-track approval also include a first-of-its kind small modular reactor in Clarington, Ont., a new copper and zinc mine in Saskatchewan and an expansion of the Red Chris Mine copper operation in northwestern B.C.
These projects represent more than $60 billion in investment, said Carney.
The prime minister said the projects are “very advanced” and the major projects office will help shepherd them past the final regulatory hurdles.
Carney said it is “no accident” that these mining and LNG projects are on the list because they meet environmental goals set out in law.
In a media release, the government says the LNG Canada Phase 2 project in Kitimat, B.C. — which Ottawa says would double Canada’s liquefied natural gas production — would open a pathway for approval of other liquefied natural gas projects.
Some of the projects identified for future development include enhancements to the Port of Churchill in Manitoba, a proposed high-speed rail line between Toronto and Québec City, a 50-gigawatt wind energy project in Nova Scotia and an Alberta-based carbon capture and storage project.
Carney said that, once complete, the carbon capture facility could lead to a decarbonized pipeline project. At this point there is no private-sector proponent for a new oil pipeline.
The projects listed for future development — which also include plans for all-weather road projects in Northern Canada to support potential critical mineral development — hit all of Canada’s main regions.
The major projects office is also tasked with finding ways to help grow the critical minerals sector and secure more investment in critical minerals projects within the next two years — including the Ring of Fire in Ontario.
Bill C-5, which moved through Parliament at lightning speed in the spring, is meant to streamline and speed up approvals for large infrastructure projects as the federal government looks to shore up an economy under heavy pressure from U.S. tariffs.
— with files from David Baxter in Ottawa
3) Federal government says it has found almost 500 ways to cut red tape
Courtesy Barrie360.com and Canadian Press
By Catherine Morrison, September 9, 2025
The federal government says it has found almost 500 ways to streamline regulations and cut costs following a 60-day red tape review exercise.
Departments and agencies have published reports identifying measures to make them more efficient and eliminate complicated or redundant regulations or processes.
Examples include a Canada Border Services Agency proposal to end the rule requiring that travellers arriving in Canada only on their way to another country, be examined by the agency before making their way to their departing flight.
Transport Canada is looking to introduce rules for transporting certain low-risk dangerous goods by drone, while the Department of National Defence says it plans to streamline the Canadian Armed Forces grievance system.
Treasury Board President Shafqat Ali launched the red tape review in early July by asking ministers to review regulations in their portfolios.
Ali said in a media statement that a federal Red Tape Reduction Office, under the Treasury Board, will continue to work with stakeholders and regulators to move forward with the proposed initiatives.
“For example, the Office will be engaging with partners and stakeholders to undertake horizontal red tape reviews, which will further eliminate regulatory barriers for business and deliver better and faster regulatory service,” Ali said. “Provinces and territories will also be engaged to support a collaborative way forward.”
Martin Potvin, a spokesperson for the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, said in an email that each government department or agency is responsible for its initiatives, including moving forward with stakeholder consultations and next steps to support implementation.
Potvin said the Red Tape Reduction Office is providing a “leadership and coordination role” across federal organizations to accelerate red tape reduction, track and communicate results and improve accountability and transparency of the regulatory system.
Ali said the proposed initiatives could deliver some important benefits for Canadians, like faster access to new drugs. He said they will also support key economic sectors, like transportation or agriculture, by speeding up decision-making and streamlining processes to increase productivity.
“Reduced red tape will support Government of Canada priorities, like more efficient reviews of projects to drive economic growth, and greater collaboration with trading partners to reduce barriers and help get products to market faster,” Ali said.
Prime Minister Mark Carney promised the red tape review in his election campaign platform.
Carney said in a statement in July that the government has a mandate to spend less and invest more.
“To that end, we will remove red tape by eliminating outdated regulation,” he said. “It’s time to make government more efficient, make its processes more effective, and to catalyze more private capital so we can build the strongest economy in the G7.”
Bruce Campbell, an adjunct professor at York University and former executive director of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, warned in a recent CCPA article that the government’s red tape review is “bad news.”
“Reducing red tape is invariably accompanied by fiscal austerity, including cuts to regulatory agencies,” Campbell argued.
Campbell pointed out that the review comes after Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne directed most ministers to find ways to cut program spending by 15 per cent over the next few years.
He said the review is also consistent with the Carney government’s Bill C-5, which allows it to fast-track major projects.
The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada — which is responsible for conducting federal reviews of major projects like mines, ports and dams for impacts including on the environment — said in its red tape progress report that it is “re-engineering” its processes so that all projects can receive federal approvals in two years or less.
The agency also said it will continue to improve its use of artificial intelligence tools to facilitate faster analysis and document production.
“We’ve seen this movie before,” Campbell said. “Government efforts to root out so-called red tape regulations have a long history. This deregulation trajectory has often compromised public safety — at times with catastrophic consequences.”
Goldy Hyder is president and CEO of the Business Council of Canada, which released a report on red tape last week. He said on social media Sunday that Canada is “drowning” in regulations.
Hyder said the system has become bloated, redundant and slow.
“The cost? A smaller economy, weaker investment, and fewer jobs,” he said. “In a time of geopolitical upheaval, there are many things beyond our control. But we can control our own rules and regulations. We can control how long it takes to build, expand, and invest in Canada.
“Regulatory reform isn’t about cutting corners or compromising. It’s about cutting duplication and designing rules that protect Canadians while also stimulating economic growth. Done right, regulation can be smart, competitive and fast.”
4) Mining Ontario drove Carney’s decision to suspend EV mandate: B.C. Energy Minister Dix
Courtesy Barrie360.com and Canadian Press
By Chuck Chiang, September 6, 2025
British Columbia’s energy minister says the federal decision to delay its electric vehicle sales mandate largely reflects circumstances in Ontario, and Ottawa should follow through on a more Canada-wide policy after its review.
Adrian Dix says electric vehicles remain in high demand in B.C., and any new policy should focus on the main barriers to purchases such as affordability and improving charging networks, including in places such as Ontario.
Dix’s comments come after Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Friday that the federal government will not implement a mandate requiring that 20 per cent of all new vehicles sold in Canada by next year be electric.
Carney says the suspension of the mandate will come with a 60-day review of the Canadian electric vehicle program to find flexibilities and ways to lower costs, noting automakers need more liquidity during trade tensions with the United States.
Statistics Canada figures show zero-emission vehicles sales were strong in B.C. in 2024, with the province reporting 20.7 per cent of all new vehicle purchases to be either a battery-electric vehicle or a plug-in hybrid.
Only Quebec was higher at 30.1 per cent, while the Canadian national average was 13.8 per cent and Ontario’s figure was 7.4 per cent.
Other than B.C. and Quebec, no other province reached 10 per cent, with Prince Edward Island reporting 7.8 per cent and Saskatchewan having the lowest percentage at 2.5 per cent.
“I want to say this: Their target for this year, we achieved four years ago,” Dix said of the existing federal electric vehicle mandates. “The issue here in Canada — and I think the federal government needs to engage in this a little bit — is first and foremost with Ontario.”
He said a 60-day review gives the federal government a “process” for Ottawa to implement targets that are the same for all provinces, instead of the current system that favours Ontario’s situation.
“I’m interested in what the federal government did today,” Dix says. “Clearly, this is an Ontario-focused policy. It’s a big country, and we’re going to work with everybody to ensure that we’re aligned.”
National EV sales hit 18 per cent last year for a monthly high when consumer rebates reached $5,000, but numbers slid sharply to about eight per cent after funding for the rebate program ran out.
5)Ford believes Carney will designate Highway 401 tunnel as ‘national interest’ project
Courtesy Barrie360.com and Canadian Press
By Liam Casey and Allison Jones, Sept. 16, 2025
Ontario Premier Doug Ford believes Prime Minister Mark Carney will back his idea for a tunnel under Highway 401 through the Greater Toronto Area, though it is unclear if he had received any such assurances from Ottawa.
Carney recently named the first five projects in the national interest that will be fast-tracked, which is intended to strengthen the country’s economy, particularly in the face of U.S. tariffs.
One Ontario project was on the initial list — building small modular nuclear reactors — and Ford said Tuesday that accessing the province’s critical mineral-rich Ring of Fire region will be in the next set of projects.
It received a nod in Carney’s announcement, along with energy, high-speed rail and port projects, suggesting the federal government will indeed work with provinces to bring those to fruition down the line.
But Ford said he also thinks Carney will help to accelerate building a tunnel under Highway 401, though he did not directly answer when asked if Carney has given him any direct assurances.
“I just believe he will,” Ford said while in the Niagara Region at the International Plowing Match, an annual expo that celebrates agriculture and rural living.
“Considering it’s the busiest highway in North America, and 50 per cent of the GDP comes through Toronto, and (gridlock is) costing us $58 billion of lost productivity, I think it’s pretty national.”
The tunnel was on Ford’s list of five suggested projects to Carney, which also included a new James Bay deep-sea port and expanded GO train service. The premier has pitched it as a way to ease gridlock and boost productivity in the Toronto area, though critics have dismissed it as fantasy.
NDP Leader Marit Stiles said including a prospective tunnel under Highway 401 in Ford’s wish list to Carney just muddies the waters on the province’s priorities.
“I think when you start to clutter the list with what I would consider vanity projects like that, then you’re not doing anybody any favours,” she said at the plowing match.
“I think it makes it less clear…what really constitutes a nation building project.”
Ontario has issued a request for proposals for a tunnel feasibility study and has not yet selected a proponent, but the government appears to be forging ahead with plans. Ford last month said his plan is to have a 19.5-metre-wide, three-level tunnel, with one level going eastbound, one for westbound traffic and a bottom level for transit.
The premier has said he wants to consider a tunnel from Brampton and Mississauga in the west to Scarborough and Markham in the east.
The request for proposals says the feasibility study should also consider shorter tunnel lengths, and stop/start locations considering Highway 410 and 427, and Highway 404.