Prime Minister Mark Carney signaled optimism about negotiations with Alberta on major energy and infrastructure issues while unveiling the next wave of projects to be fast tracked through Ottawa’s new Major Projects Office.Speaking in Terrace, BC, where he announced a second tranche of nationally significant resource and energy projects, Carney described the initiative as a return to large scale nation building that he said depends heavily on Western Canada.Pressed on negotiations with Premier Danielle Smith over what the province has called a Grand Bargain on energy development, Carney said discussions remain productive.He said he is encouraged by the progress that has been made so far, although several items are still being worked through. Smith has called for commitments on a new oil pipeline and for the federal government to eliminate what Alberta views as barriers to major infrastructure investment..Carney did not outline what Ottawa is requesting in return, but he said Alberta stands to gain from federal support for major decarbonization investments, including carbon capture and storage projects linked to the Pathways Alliance.He described carbon capture as a major opportunity for Canada to produce low risk, low cost and low carbon energy, and said Alberta’s involvement is central to the country’s future competitiveness.Carney announced that more than 60 billion dollars in additional projects will now fall under the Major Projects Office’s accelerated permitting and financing coordination system.This doubles the value of the initiatives announced in September. The new list includes LNG facilities, critical mineral developments and large scale transmission expansions across northern British Columbia intended to support both industrial growth and power grid modernization..Ottawa also confirmed a 140 million dollar federal loan to BC Hydro for the North Coast Transmission Line.Carney said the line has the potential to eventually connect with Alberta and support reliability, clean power development and new industrial investment across the West.Carney also highlighted the potential for a northwest trade and energy corridor running from British Columbia through the Yukon with future possibilities for connection into Alberta.He tied the need for expanded corridors to economic diversification, noting that recent United States tariffs could cost Canada the equivalent of 1.8% of GDP. He said expanding access to Asian markets would strengthen both national and provincial resilience..Carney highlighted Silym LNG as one of the flagship projects being referred to the Major Projects Office. The development, led by the Nisga’a Nation, would include a new natural gas pipeline, a transmission line and a floating LNG export terminal. Ottawa is promoting the project as one of the world’s lowest-emission LNG facilities, with estimated emissions 94% below the global average and the potential to reach net-zero by the end of the decade. Federal officials say Ksi Lisims LNG could create thousands of skilled jobs and contribute roughly four billion dollars annually to Canada’s GDP. The MPO will coordinate approvals for all components of the project to accelerate timelines that often stretch for years.Another major initiative is the North Coast Transmission Line in northern British Columbia. Ottawa confirmed a 140 million dollar loan to BC Hydro to support the project, which Carney described as foundational to long-term industrial development across the region. The line is expected to enable new LNG projects, mining operations and clean-energy investments while reducing emissions by up to three million tonnes annually. Carney also noted the line could eventually link to the Yukon and potentially Alberta, forming part of a broader western power corridor aimed at improving reliability and competitiveness.Carney also announced the inclusion of several critical mineral projects in Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick. The Crawford nickel project in Ontario, located in one of the world’s largest nickel reserves, is being positioned as a global benchmark for low-carbon mining with projected emissions 90% below the global average. In Quebec, the Nouveau Monde Graphite mine is expected to supply graphite for electric-vehicle batteries and energy-storage systems, supporting Canada’s ambitions in clean technology manufacturing. In New Brunswick, the Sisson mine would produce tungsten, a key material for industrial and defense applications. Ottawa argues that these projects collectively strengthen Canada’s position as a reliable supplier at a time when global mineral supply chains are highly concentrated and politically risky.In the North, Carney announced that a fully Inuit-owned hydro project near Iqaluit would also be referred to the MPO. The development is expected to reduce the territory’s long-term reliance on diesel, cutting an estimated 1.9 billion dollars in fuel costs over 50 years while supplying emissions-free power. Ottawa framed the project as both an economic and sovereignty milestone, emphasizing that it supports sustainable development controlled directly by Inuit communities..While Carney emphasized Indigenous participation in the projects, including new federal financing aimed at supporting equity ownership, several First Nations have raised concerns about the pace of the federal process.Some communities have already announced opposition to the fast tracking model and to specific projects such as the Silym LNG development. Carney said the federal government will not bypass consultation requirements and that many Indigenous communities are supportive of the referenced projects. He also said Ottawa’s role is to bring parties together rather than dictate outcomes.For Alberta, the Major Projects Office announcements intersect with several provincial priorities.These include LNG expansion that Alberta producers consider essential for global market access, increased investment in critical minerals for which Alberta positions itself as a processing hub, transmission upgrades that could integrate Alberta more closely with western and northern grids and carbon capture projects that form a core part of Alberta’s emissions strategy..Carney repeatedly linked Alberta’s economic future to the broader national energy strategies, saying the projects being advanced will help build Alberta strong and position Canada to be more independent and more prosperous.He maintained that the discussions with Alberta are progressing and said both governments are working to ensure any agreement is done properly.
