Major Projects Office Falls Short of Economic Expectations
When Prime Minister Mark Carney established the Major Projects Office in late August 2025, he promised it would revolutionize how Canada approves and funds significant national initiatives. The office was designed to accelerate regulatory approvals and structure financing for projects considered vital to national interests, with Carney pledging to move "at speeds not seen in a generation" to secure community support and unlock private investments that would boost Canada's GDP.
Reality Versus Rhetoric in Project Selection
The second round of mining and infrastructure projects announced on Thursday, November 13, 2025, in Terrace, British Columbia, reveals a different reality. Despite initial impressions that the government would prioritize economic returns for taxpayers given the billions of borrowed dollars in the budget, evidence suggests other considerations have taken precedence.
During his press conference, Carney emphasized that while the selected projects should provide economic benefits to Canadians, they must primarily advance Indigenous interests and contribute to sustainable clean growth. This shift in focus raises questions about whether financial returns remain the primary concern.
Questionable Need for Fast-Tracking
The necessity of the Major Projects Office's involvement appears questionable, as many projects on the newly announced list were already at advanced stages, with some having obtained full environmental approval. Heather Exner-Pirot, senior fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, observed that "the Major Projects Office is obviously more about financing projects than moving along the regulatory process."
Exner-Pirot further noted the disconnect between national economic goals and project selection: "We were under the assumption that we need to double non-U.S. exports and become an energy superpower. But the government is instead selecting projects the private sector would not want to advance on its own."
Dawn Farrell, head of the Major Projects Office, defended her role by stating her job involves "making sure people get across the finish line, get everything they need to get built on time and on budget." However, neither she nor the prime minister convincingly explained how listing environmentally approved projects provides additional value.
The Crawford Nickel Project Controversy
Among the six projects Carney announced, only one—the Crawford Nickel project in northern Ontario—appears genuinely stalled by regulatory hurdles. The Impact Assessment Agency wrote to Canada Nickel Company in May 2025, indicating that the environmental impact statement submitted a year earlier lacked crucial information about effects on fish habitat and potential downstream contamination.
Until the company provides this required information, no impact assessment can proceed. Despite the project's potential importance for electric vehicle battery production and involvement of three local First Nations, the regulatory obstacles appear substantial enough to cast doubt on its approval prospects.
The growing evidence suggests that Carney's Major Projects Office may be prioritizing political and environmental considerations over the economic returns initially promised to Canadian taxpayers.
