Canada Initiates Process to List Major Projects under the Building Canada Act

The Building Canada Act (the Act) is federal legislation that enables the government to streamline federal approval processes for projects determined to be in the national interest.

The Building Canada Act (the Act) is federal legislation that enables the government to streamline federal approval processes for projects determined to be in the national interest. The Act helps ensure that projects in the national interest can move forward efficiently, supporting economic growth and strengthening Canada’s competitiveness. 

The Government of Canada is initiating the process to consider listing the first set of projects under the Act.

The Act requires Crown consultation before a project can be listed as being in the national interest. The government will commence consultations in the coming weeks with potentially impacted Indigenous rights holders and communities, and with provinces and territories, in order to inform its decision about whether to list the projects.

See below for further details about the Building Canada Act.

Projects being considered for listing under the Building Canada Act

Nuclear Waste Management Organization’s Deep Geological Repository

Location: Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation - Ignace area, Ontario
Proponent: Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO)
Referred to the MPO: June 24, 2026

The Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) is advancing a Deep Geological Repository (DGR) for Canada’s Used Nuclear Fuel to provide a safe, permanent solution for the long-term management of Canada’s used nuclear fuel. The Government of Canada selected a deep geological repository as Canada’s plan for used nuclear fuel in June 2007, and the NWMO is required through the Nuclear Fuel Waste Act to design and implement this plan. The project is entirely funded by Canada’s nuclear fuel waste owners and reflects decades of technical study, as well as public and Indigenous engagement. The NWMO proposes to construct the DGR approximately 650–800 metres underground in northwestern Ontario, near Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation (WLON) and the Township of Ignace area. It will consist of a network of tunnels and placement rooms designed to safely contain all used nuclear fuel from Canada’s existing nuclear reactor fleet.

The repository would use a multi-barrier system, including engineered materials such as bentonite clay and concrete, as well as stable surrounding rock to isolate and contain used nuclear fuel over the long term. Deep geological repositories are internationally recognized as the best practice for permanent disposal of high-level radioactive waste, and most other leading nuclear nations are taking the same approach, including Finland, Sweden, France and Switzerland.

The project addresses a critical national responsibility to safely manage used nuclear fuel, while enabling Canada’s nuclear energy future, as described in the government’s new Nuclear Energy Strategy, and demonstrating a high level of project readiness and Indigenous partnership.

Learn more about the Deep Geological Repository project.

Mackenzie Valley Highway

Location: Routing being developed, Wrigley to the Dempster Highway, south of Inuvik, Northwest Territories 
Proponent: Government of the Northwest Territories
Referred to the MPO: March 12, 2026

The Mackenzie Valley Highway is a proposed all-season road that would run from Wrigley to the Dempster Highway (south of Inuvik), creating a continuous overland route through the Mackenzie Valley. It presents the potential to spur economic growth; strengthen Canada’s sovereignty, security and resilience; and support Indigenous partnership and participation.

The project aims to significantly improve connectivity in the North by:

• Reducing travel distance between Yellowknife and Inuvik by about 1,200 km and travel time by 15 hours.
• Providing year-round access to currently isolated communities like Tulita, Norman Wells, and Fort Good Hope.

This highway would:

• Connect two expanding NORAD Forward Operating Locations in Yellowknife and Inuvik
• Improve emergency response and safety
• Help stabilize supply chains
• Support economic development, tourism, resource exploration, and development

Learn more about the Mackenzie Valley Highway project.

Grays Bay Road and Port

Location: Kitikmeot Region, Nunavut
Proponent: West Kitikmeot Resource Corporation
Referred to the MPO: March 12, 2026

This project would establish a new trade route to global markets, unlock critical minerals development, and enhance Arctic security. The Kitikmeot Inuit Association is a significant shareholder of West Kitikmeot Resource Corp, the project proponent. The project presents the potential to deliver economic growth, strengthen Canada’s sovereignty, security and resilience, and support Indigenous partnership and participation.

The project would include:

• A ~230 km all-season road to Grays Bay
• A deepwater port and aerodrome on the Arctic Ocean
• Possible connection to broader infrastructure and transportation networks like the Arctic Economic and Security Corridor 

The project is designed to:

• Enable critical minerals development
• Improve transportation access and supply chains to/from the North
• Support economic growth and jobs in northern communities
• Strengthen Canada’s Arctic security

Learn more about the Grays Bay Road and Port project.

About the Building Canada Act

The Building Canada Act, introduced as part of Bill C-5, the One Canadian Economy Act, was enacted on June 26, 2025. The purpose of the Act is to enhance Canada’s prosperity, national and economic security, national defence and sovereignty. It aims to achieve this by ensuring that projects of national interest are advanced through an efficient, coordinated process that enhances regulatory certainty and investor confidence, while protecting the environment and respecting the rights of Indigenous peoples.

The Act is intended to accelerate projects of national interest by:

• Bringing the project under a unique legislative framework that recognizes its national importance.
• Consolidating key federal regulatory authorizations under a single minister.

The Act does not disturb impact assessment processes that flow from modern treaties. This means that for projects such as the Mackenzie Valley Highway and Grays Bay Road and Port, the streamlining and accelerating effect of project listing is contingent on the projects first successfully passing through a treaty-based impact assessment and regulatory process.

For other projects, such as the Deep Geological Repository, the national interest listing of a project provides immediate, upfront confidence that certain key federal regulatory authorizations and permits will be granted, subject to the identification of appropriate conditions. To note, the Act does not affect or replace legal requirements related to nuclear safety.

In deciding whether to list a project as one in Canada’s national interest under the Act, the Government can consider a range of factors, including the extent to which the project:

• Strengthens Canada’s autonomy, resilience, and security
• Provides economic or other benefits to Canada
• Has a high likelihood of successful execution
• Advances the interests of Indigenous Peoples
• Contributes to clean growth and meeting Canada’s climate change objectives

Benefits for proponents, investors, and Indigenous communities:

• A consistent, centralized process that supports Indigenous engagement, consultation and partnership.
• Clearer, coordinated federal regulatory reviews.
• Predictable regulatory pathways and greater timeline certainty that reduce project risk and attract long-term capital.
• Stronger trade and supply chain corridors that improve national competitiveness.
• A more stable project and regulatory environment that attracts long-term capital.

For more information on how the Act works, visit the Building Canada Act website.