TERRACE, B.C. — The federal government has announced a new list of major construction projects that may be fast-tracked under recent legislation aimed at critical minerals and energy. This announcement was made on Thursday and includes several significant initiatives such as a hydroelectric project in Nunavut, the Crawford nickel mine in northern Ontario, the Nouveau Monde graphite mine in Quebec, and the Sisson tungsten mine in New Brunswick.

Prime Minister Mark Carney made the announcement in Terrace, B.C., a community that will benefit from the North Coast Transmissions Line, which is also under consideration for fast-tracking. This line is designed to provide power to local communities and support projects like the Ksi Lisims LNG facility, which is included in the new list.

The Ksi Lisims project has encountered opposition from some First Nations groups, who have initiated court challenges to reverse the federal environmental approval granted in September. Carney addressed concerns regarding the project's future if First Nations do not support it. "We’re encouraged with respect to Ksi Lisims in terms of the scale of Indigenous support across various groups," he stated, highlighting the backing from the Nisga’a Nation. He added, "We work in concert with all parties and we make things possible. We don’t dictate where projects are going to go in the end. Parties decide."

This latest list follows an initial set of projects referred to the Major Projects Office in September, which primarily included energy and mining initiatives, along with an expansion project for the Port of Montreal. To date, no project has received the national interest designation, which would allow for special treatment, including exemptions from certain environmental regulations such as the Fisheries Act, the Species At Risk Act, and the Impact Assessment Act. Once a project is referred to the Major Projects Office, it undergoes a review process before recommendations are made to the government, which ultimately decides on the national interest designation.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith expressed her support for the new list, stating that she hopes to finalize an agreement with the federal government regarding a new pipeline project by the weekend. "Currently, we are working on an agreement with the federal government that includes the removal, carve out or overhaul of several damaging laws chasing away private investment in our energy sector, and an agreement to work towards ultimate approval of a bitumen pipeline to Asian markets," Smith said in a statement.

However, the announcement has drawn criticism from environmental groups who oppose the government's focus on gas development. Alex Walker, the climate finance program manager with Environmental Defence, remarked, "National building projects should benefit everyday Canadians, but LNG primarily benefits foreign-owned industry players. Ottawa is focused on giving subsidies to industries that are incompatible with a net-zero world and cannot compete with lower-cost alternatives, like renewables and cheaper LNG from existing producers. Saying that building LNG infrastructure is in the national interest is oxymoronic."