Feds push to have 3 projects in Canada’s North declared developments of national interest

The Liberal government wants a highway, a deep water port and nuclear waste storage facility in Canada’s North to be listed as projects of national interest. 

Ministers in Yellowknife announced Wednesday that the government is “initiating the process toward potential listing” of the Mackenzie Valley Highway Project, the Grays Bay Road and Port Project and a Deep Geological Repository as projects of national interest.

The Mackenzie Valley and Grays Bay projects, which were referred to the Major Projects Office (MPO) in March, could be named to the list of projects of national interest as early as the fall, government officials said Wednesday.

“If listed, federal approvals for nation-building projects like these will secure our long-term energy sovereignty, unlock our abundant natural resources, drive economic growth, advance reconciliation and help maintain our world-class environmental standards,” Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson said in a statement. 

Officials speaking on background in advance of the announcement said referring these projects to the MPO does not mean they are being rubber stamped, only that they are being considered under the Build Canada Act.

Bill C-5, Carney’s legislation to speed up approvals for major infrastructure projects identified as being “nation-building,” passed through Parliament last June.

The second half of the bill, the Building Canada Act, enables the federal cabinet to pick projects, approve them upfront and streamlines the process for navigating federal and provincial laws, environmental reviews and the permitting process.

Being listed as a project of national interest by the MPO is supposed to speed up approval times from five years to two by introducing a “one project, one review” approach instead of having federal and provincial approval processes happen sequentially.