TERRACE, B.C. – Prime Minister Mark Carney concluded his announcement in Terrace yesterday by officially fast-tracking two significant Northern B.C. projects, but the celebration was quickly followed by a direct demand from Premier David Eby for substantial federal funding to match the “nation-building” ambition.
The announcement, delivered with the BC Hydro Skeena Substation as a backdrop, formally added the Ksi Lisims LNG project and the North Coast Transmission Line (NCTL) to the federal Major Projects Office (MPO) list for accelerated approval.
The Funding Disconnect
While Premier Eby welcomed the projects, he immediately expressed disappointment over the size of the federal financial commitment, particularly for the North Coast Transmission Line.
The NCTL, a 450-kilometre power line between Prince George and Terrace, carries a $6 billion price tag for its first two stages alone. Prime Minister Carney announced a $150 million loan from the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) towards the project.
“The project has been on the federal government’s major project list for about 20 minutes, and I am deeply disappointed that they have not fully funded it already,” Eby quipped, speaking shortly after the Terrace event.
Eby’s message was clear: B.C. needs more federal money to deliver these projects that will serve the entire nation. “What we expect to flow from this is the real levelling up of our partnership and the availability of the federal public servants, the federal dollars, the federal support to drive these things through the final investment,” Eby said.
Economic Promise and Local Concerns
The two projects carry enormous economic weight for the Northwest and the country:
- Ksi Lisims LNG: Projected to add an estimated $4 billion annually to Canada’s GDP, this Indigenous-led, floating export facility is slated to be one of the world’s cleanest LNG operations, with emissions 94 per cent below the global average. The federal government promised “huge financing” to facilitate Indigenous equity ownership.
- North Coast Transmission Line: The NCTL is expected to create $10 billion in new economic activity by providing clean power to major industrial sites, including Ksi Lisims, Cedar LNG, and LNG Canada.
However, the event highlighted the significant political friction surrounding the projects. Representatives from the Gitxsan, Gitanyow, and Wet’suwet’en Nations, and the Kispiox Valley Community Association, were present at the Terrace substation to protest the fast-tracking of industrial projects. The Lax Kw’alaams and Metlakatla First Nationsalso have ongoing legal challenges against the Ksi Lisims project itself.
Terrace Mayor Sean Bujtas also weighed in on the need for funding, stating his worry that the city would not receive any taxation from the projects, as they are not inside city limits. Mayor Bujtas stated he wants the federal and provincial governments to help the community embrace growth with critical infrastructure such as sewer, water, and housing.
National Strategy
The B.C. projects were part of a broader announcement that included the Crawford Nickel Project (Ontario), Sisson Mine (New Brunswick), and the Iqaluit Hydroelectric Project (Nunavut).
Eby concluded by saying B.C. is ready to be the “economic engine of this new economy,” but stressed that “B.C. taxpayers cannot single-handedly fund the prosperity of the entire nation.”
