Economist Advocates for Minor Projects Office to Complement Major Infrastructure Initiatives
As Prime Minister Mark Carney approaches his first anniversary in office on March 14, his administration's newly established Major Projects Office has launched with an official web presence featuring a schematic diagram in black and lime green. The visual representation shows stylized projects connected between symbolic Rocky Mountains and an ocean lighthouse, with the latter's beacon glowing green—potentially indicating maritime technology investments.
Historical Perspective on Project Management
Economist William Watson questions whether Sir John A. Macdonald's initial consideration when building the Pacific railway involved communication strategies and logos rather than practical construction plans. "He couldn't opt for a web page, of course," Watson notes. "Maybe his government handed out flyers."
The Major Projects Office schematic centers on a stylized Peace Tower, which Watson suggests implies the economy operates from Ottawa—a concerning notion for the millions of Canadians who depend on private sector employment. As economic analyst Philip Cross recently highlighted, the private sector accounts for approximately 80 percent of Canadian jobs and economic output.
Questionable Project Examples and Symbolism
The office's visual representation includes several symbolic elements: the CN Tower, Montreal's Olympic Stadium, what appears to be a train (possibly the proposed Central Canada high-speed rail), a tree with an overhead eagle (potentially representing Indigenous elements), and an airplane with a green-highlighted engine. Watson observes that the train appears beneath an infinity symbol, which he interprets as either a scientific reference or "the artist's estimate of our bullet train's likely cost."
Watson particularly questions the inclusion of Montreal's Olympic Stadium as an exemplary major project. Originally conceived as Mayor Jean Drapeau's vanity project with a dramatically leaning tower meant to rival Pisa's, the stadium faced significant construction delays, labor disputes, and wasn't completed for the 1976 Summer Games. Its innovative but unreliable kevlar roof functioned only sporadically, and the structure—nicknamed the "Big Owe"—remained burdened by substantial debt for three decades.
The Case for Minor Projects
Watson argues that while some major infrastructure projects might account for one to two percent of GDP during construction phases, numerous smaller initiatives could collectively generate more substantial and sustainable economic benefits. The economist proposes establishing a complementary Minor Projects Office that would streamline approval processes for smaller-scale developments across Canada.
The existing Major Projects Office website invites submissions through a formal intake process, offering coordination assistance across multiple federal organizations. However, the privacy notice indicates that personal information may be shared among seventeen different federal departments and agencies—highlighting the bureaucratic complexity that projects must navigate.
"Every major project becomes a magnet for lawsuits, protests and Indigenous vetoes," Watson observes, suggesting that smaller projects might face fewer obstacles while still contributing meaningfully to economic growth and community development.
Balancing Infrastructure Priorities
As Canada contemplates its next generation of nation-building projects, Watson emphasizes the importance of not overlooking smaller-scale initiatives that could be implemented more quickly and with less bureaucratic overhead. While major infrastructure developments capture public attention and political focus, the economist maintains that a diversified approach incorporating both large and small projects would better serve Canada's economic interests and regional development needs.
The debate highlights ongoing tensions between centralized planning and private sector initiative, between monumental projects and incremental improvements, and between symbolic representation and practical implementation in Canada's infrastructure development strategy.
