TERRACE, B.C. – Prime Minister Mark Carney concluded his announcement in Terrace today, confirming the addition of several major national developments to the federal Major Projects Office (MPO) list for fast-tracking. The announcement, delivered with the backdrop of the BC Hydro Skeena Substation, focused heavily on two significant projects in Northern British Columbia.
The MPO, created in August to streamline approvals for “nation-building” projects, will now expedite the federal consideration process for:
- Ksi Lisims Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Project: This floating export facility, north of Prince Rupert, was officially slated for fast-tracking. Prime Minister Carney stated the project is projected to add an estimated $4 billion annually to Canada’s GDP and asserted the facility’s emissions will be 94 per cent below the global average for LNG operations.
- North Coast Transmission Line (NCTL): The planned 450-kilometre power line between Prince George and Terrace was also named for acceleration. The government confirmed the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) will loan BC Hydro $140 million to complete the project. The NCTL is critical enabling infrastructure, expected to create $10 billion in new economic activity and provide clean power to major projects like Ksi Lisims, Cedar LNG, and LNG Canada.
“We used to build in this country, and we are building this nation again,” Carney said, emphasizing the federal commitment to accelerating approvals and attracting private investment.
Local Opposition and Legal Challenges
The announcement was met with direct opposition on the ground in Terrace. Outside the Skeena Substation, a group of representatives from the Gitxsan, Gitanyow, and Wet’suwet’en Nations, and the Kispiox Valley Community Association, gathered to oppose the fast-tracking of large industrial projects in the Northwest.
The political commitment also comes amid active legal challenges to the resource infrastructure:
- The Lax Kw’alaams and Metlakatla First Nations have an ongoing legal challenge against the Ksi Lisims project itself, claiming it threatens their territorial waters.
- The broader group of opposing nations has also launched a lawsuit against the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission pipeline project, which is proposed to feed the Ksi Lisims plant.
Acknowledging the complexity of such large developments, Carney confirmed that the federal government is putting “huge financing” on the table to facilitate Indigenous equity ownership of the projects, aiming to ensure fairness and address legal challenges.
National Scope and Strategy
The Terrace announcement served to unveil a total of six new projects across critical resource and energy sectors, adding to the five projects announced in September:
- Critical Minerals: Projects include the Crawford Nickel Project (Ontario), Sisson Mine (New Brunswick), and the Nouveau Monde Graphite Phase 2 project (Quebec).
- Northern Infrastructure: The Iqaluit Hydroelectric Project in Nunavut was also selected to help shift the capital city away from diesel reliance.
The additions demonstrate the government’s commitment to expediting approvals for projects deemed essential for Canada’s long-term economic resilience and global supply chain security.
