Ottawa Launches Major Projects Office, Will Announce First Projects in Coming Weeks

The office, based in Calgary, will be led by Dawn Farrell, the former CEO of Trans Mountain Corporation.

Prime Minister Mark Carney in Ottawa, on Aug. 7, 2025. The Canadian Press/Spencer Colby

Prime Minister Mark Carney has launched the Major Projects Office (MPO), which aims to get major projects built faster by streamlining regulatory approval processes and coordinating financing. The office will be headquartered in Calgary.

The office will be led by Dawn Farrell, the former CEO of Trans Mountain Corporation and former president and CEO of TransAlta Corporation.

“Her extensive executive experience, deep expertise in implementing large projects, and wide-ranging understanding of regulatory processes and industry relations will be invaluable to the effectiveness of the MPO,” the prime minister’s office said in a statement.

The MPO will identify projects that are in the national interest, such as ports, railways, energy corridors, and critical mineral mines, and accelerate their development by creating a single set of conditions, also known as “one project, one review,” according to an Aug. 29 Prime Minister’s Office news release. The MPO aims to reduce the approval timeline for these projects from five years to two years.

Canada’s premiers have been pushing for projects they want to be prioritized through the office for months. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has been pushing for more infrastructure to transport energy resources, while Ontario’s Doug Ford has been asking for commitments to further develop minerals in his province’s Ring of Fire region. Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew has requested icebreakers to be able to increase shipping capability through Hudson Bay, while Nova Scotia’s Tim Houston has asked for support in building more electricity infrastructure.

The federal government said on Aug. 29 that it plans to announce the first set of the projects that will be worked on in the coming weeks.

Carney said in a statement that Canada must draw on its legacy of building projects like the St. Lawrence Seaway and Expo 67 in order to “transform” its economy. “We are moving at a speed not seen in generations to build ports, railways, energy grids – the major projects that will unlock Canada’s full economic potential and build Canada strong,” he said.

The MPO will work to attract capital to build the projects, while also coordinating and structuring financing from the private sector, and provincial and territorial partners. The MPO will be headquartered in Calgary but have offices in other major cities.

In June, the Liberal government passed Bill C-5 that in part aims to support the development of major projects of national interest, even if it means bypassing provisions of certain laws.

The Conservative Party reacted to the launch of the MPO by saying, “Another office of bureaucrats that will one day consider approving a project won’t get anything built.” The party criticized the Liberal government for previously passing “anti-energy laws” and discouraging investment in energy projects.

The Conservatives said they plan to introduce a motion to pass a Canadian Sovereignty Act when Parliament returns in September, which would enable building pipelines and other resource development projects, as well as remove the industrial carbon tax and allow for more oil and gas production.