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Of the five infrastructure projects Prime Minister Mark Carney announced under his new fast-tracked approval process, none of them are in Alberta. Perhaps that’s why he chose to make the announcement in Edmonton. He wants to assure Albertans that the federal government has changed its approach and will be working cooperatively with the province rather than taking an adversarial role.
Carney has successfully wooed one of his harshest regional critics, as Premier Danielle Smith was uncharacteristically optimistic about the federal government’s initiatives. Despite no pipelines being on the planning list, upon emerging from a meeting with the prime minister, Smith said “they finally get it,” and asked Albertans to be patient. It gives the impression that there will be more oil and gas-specific announcements coming soon.
The projects that were announced span the country. In B.C., the second phase of the Kitimat liquid natural gas (LNG) terminal will be approved, which will double the production of the facility. It’s expected that the expansion could usher in more LNG terminals and infrastructure as Canada expands its export markets. Premier Smith said she could feel a shift in the government from the Trudeau era. Embracing LNG exports marks a departure from the prior government’s attitude, when former Prime Minister Trudeau said there was no business case for LNG exports.
To the East, the Contrecœur Terminal expansion project in Quebec made the list to be referred to the new Major Projects Office. The Port of Montreal expansion will increase capacity for container shipping by 60 percent. It’s estimated that the construction would create 8,000 jobs and bring in $140 million in national economic benefits annually. Increased shipping ability could spur activity for peripheral industries seeking to break into European markets and reduce dependence on the United States as a customer.
In Ontario, the $20.9 billion proposal to build four small modular nuclear reactors at the Darlington New Nuclear Project site will be expedited. The reactors are expected to create 18,000 jobs during construction and operate for 60 years to increase Canada’s GDP by $35 billion.
Two mining projects are on the list. Foran’s McIlvenna Bay copper mine project in East Central Saskatchewan will be the first carbon-neutral copper project in Canada. It’s expected to create 400 jobs and contribute to Canada’s critical minerals plan.
In Northwestern B.C., the Red Chris mine will be expanded. It currently produces gold and copper in an open-pit facility. A new type of block-caving is expected to reduce environmental impacts and extend the life of the mine by 13 years.
If all the projects go ahead, they will provide an injection of economic activity that Canada dearly needs. Unemployment is spiking across the nation and the GDP is dropping dangerously close to recession territory. Having the federal government eagerly pursue resource development is a welcome shift in Canada’s economy.
“Combined, these five projects will generate more than $60 billion for the Canadian economy and create tens of thousands of high-paying careers for our workers,“ Carney said. ”These five projects are just the beginning.”
The prime minister is saying all the right words. Premiers and pundits are celebrating his approach.
Now, it’s time to see if Carney will follow through on his promises. Industries, particularly in Western Canada, have had the rug pulled out from under them on major projects before. Optimism is cautious at best, and the skepticism won’t fade until shovels are literally in the ground.
Every one of the projects has opponents. Indigenous activist protesters have periodically blockaded the Red Chris mine and the Kitimat LNG project, and have protested the McIlvenna Bay project. The federal government will have to admit that full indigenous consensus will never be attained and will need to protect the projects from blockades and other actions from activists. No government wants to get caught dealing with potentially explosive indigenous blockades, but it’s hard to see how it will be avoided if these projects are to get underway quickly.
Nuclear energy in Ontario has always been dealing with fierce opposition from environmental groups. These groups will surely be planning to hinder the expansion of nuclear generation within the courts and perhaps outside of them.
Even the Port of Montreal expansion is dealing with environmental opposition from a group called Eau Secours that contends the project will destroy sensitive waterways.
Canadians will lose patience quickly if the projects look like they will be mired in the courts or blocked by protesters for years. Cutting through the federal red tape is one thing. Holding ground against indigenous and environmental opponents is another.
Prime Minister Carney has the vision and the plan. The test now will be whether he has the fortitude to battle the onslaught of opponents to the projects he wants to expedite. Carney has repeatedly said these projects are in the national interest, and it sets the stage for forms of closure to be imposed against opposition. The economic future of the country is at stake.
Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
