Transformative strategies

The Major Projects Office supports strategic areas of focus and activity that will be transformative for Canada and Canadians.

This work is being done in two general streams:

• Transforming regulatory processes: The Major Projects Office is working towards transforming the regulatory processes to ensure that major projects are reviewed within two years, from start to finish.
• Transformative projects and concepts: The Major Projects Office will work on transformative projects and concepts for Canada, which cover critical mineral development, wind energy, critical infrastructure in the North, ports and other transportation infrastructure connecting Canadians and our goods with the world, as well as innovative carbon capture and storage and carbon management technologies. While these projects and concepts have boundless potential and meet the criteria of growth, security, diversification of markets, and reconciliation, they are at earlier stages and require further development.

The Major Projects Office has created business development teams to work with provinces and territories, proponents, and Indigenous Peoples to further develop and turn these strategies into a reality.

Transformative projects

Alto High-Speed Rail

Canada’s first high-speed railway, spanning approximately 1,000 km from Toronto to Québec City and reaching speeds of up to 300 km/hour to cut travel times in half and connect close to half of Canada's population. Joining major centres through Canada’s most densely populated areas, this initiative will yield benefits for key government priorities, including:

• Housing: contributing to the housing supply along the route, with a target of 63,000 units.
• Environment: providing a sustainable means of travel, with a target of 25 million tonnes of CO2 emissions savings.
• Job creation: delivering well-paying jobs with a target of 51,000 new jobs over 10 years.

Canada is the only country in the G7 that does not have high-speed rail – to address our looming transportation crisis, Canada has chosen this bold and ambitious solution. The MPO will work to accelerate engineering, regulatory, and permitting work to enable and target the start of project construction in five years.

Latest updates: In Budget 2025, the government proposes to introduce legislation to accelerate the development of Alto high-speed rail.

Port of Churchill Plus

Building upon the leadership of the Arctic Gateway Group, this project will upgrade the Port of Churchill and expand trade corridors with an all-weather road, an upgraded rail line, a new energy corridor, and marine ice-breaking capacity. The transformative strategy would prioritize Indigenous equity ownership, through a new Manitoba Crown Indigenous Corporation, and develop the projects needed to turn the Port of Churchill in major four season and dual-use gateway to the region. Expanded export capacity in the North through Hudson Bay would contribute to increased and diversified trade with Europe and other partners. The Major Projects Office will work with prospective proponents to bring certainty to the regulatory processes that will attract private and public sources of capital investment and more strongly link Churchill to the rest of Canada.

Latest updates: The Major Projects Office has created a business development team to work with the Government of Manitoba, proponents, and Indigenous Peoples to further develop the Port of Churchill Plus transformative strategy. To outline future development work, the Major Projects Office is working with the Government of Manitoba to develop a Project Charter to align efforts on this important initiative.

Critical Minerals Strategy

Canada can be a powerhouse in the extraction and upgrading of critical minerals for industries that can emerge in Canada and to diversify and serve export markets. A priority for the Major Projects Office will be to get more critical minerals projects get to final investment decisions, with a focus on sustainability and regulatory certainty. This will enable critical mineral proponents working with Indigenous and local communities, investors, and provinces and territories to develop projects in regions like the Fosse du Labrador in QC and NL, the Northwest Critical Mineral and Conservation Corridor in BC, and the Ring of Fire in Ontario. The strategy will lead to the construction of ports and roads and focus on the first and last mile. Canada through its leadership at the G7 is also connecting with global partners to develop a Critical Mineral Alliance to match secure supply from projects with global partners who have industry demand. This work seizes opportunities to build new critical mineral value chains for clean technologies and defence applications for example:  developing “mines to magnets” using our rare earth resources and building processing and manufacturing abilities; and refining and processing minerals needed for clean energy and electricity battery storage, as well as electric vehicles.

Latest updates: The three projects referred to MPO on November 13, 2025, follow the recent announcement, on the margins of the G7 Energy and Environment Ministerial, of 26 new investments, partnerships and measures to accelerate $6.4 billion in critical minerals projects.

Collectively, these build on the Government of Canada’s efforts through Canada’s Critical Minerals Strategy, led by Natural Resources Canada, to strengthen critical minerals supply chains essential to the defence and economic security of Canada and its allies.

Budget 2025 further accelerated these efforts by introducing a First and Last Mile Fund, and investments through the Defence Industrial Strategy, as well as enhancements to tax measures to support the Canadian critical minerals sector.

Wind West Atlantic Energy

A project that would leverage over 60 GWs of wind power potential in Nova Scotia, and more across Atlantic Canada, connecting that renewable, emissions-free energy to Eastern and Atlantic Canada to meet rapidly growing demand. The Major Projects Office will advance Wind West Atlantic Energy with proponents to develop the projects and provide the regulatory certainty that attracts private investment and sets a course for long term wind resources development in the Maritime provinces. Wind West could be Canada’s first offshore wind development and will set the scale, direction and trajectory for future growth. Unlocking 5,000 MW in the first phase could produce 24 TWh of clean energy every year and drive billions in new investment and economic activity across Canada, led by the private sector. This Eastern Energy Partnership could include important projects like interties between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, transmission cables between Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick as well as Quebec’s and Newfoundland and Labrador’s further development of Churchill Falls and Gull Island.

Latest updates: To support Nova Scotia’s initial goal of licensing up to 5 GW of offshore wind energy by 2030, in July 2025 the Government of Canada and Province of Nova Scotia jointly designated four areas for potential offshore wind development.

On September 20, 2025, the Government of Canada and Province of Nova Scotia issued joint direction to the Canada–Nova Scotia Offshore Energy Regulator to implement a prequalification process and a Call for Information to support the process to issue the first submerged land licences for offshore wind in Canada. This will help to attract qualified investments and provide an opportunity for the public, Indigenous groups and stakeholders to inform the path forward.

Later in fall 2025, the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Energy Regulator is expected to launch the first ever Call for Bids for offshore wind and issue the first submerged land licences in the latter half of 2026.

Pathways Plus

An Alberta-based carbon capture, utilization, and storage project with additional energy infrastructure that would support a strong conventional energy sector while driving down emissions and emissions intensity from the oil sands. Pathways creates the prospect of facilitating low-carbon oil exports from the Alberta oil sands to a variety of potential markets. The Major Projects Office will develop a strategy to build the Pathways project which would reduce upstream emissions from the conventional energy sector, while catalyzing private investment in additional energy infrastructure that would support a strong conventional energy sector while driving down emissions and emissions intensity from the oil sands. The Pathways project represents $16.5B in GDP, $12.2B in labour income, and between 18,500 and 43,000 jobs annually.

Latest updates: The federal government and the Government of Alberta have established a working group to discuss how to work together to advance this project. Budget 2025 announced that the government intends to extend the full value of the Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage Investment Tax Credit (CCUS) by 5 years, from 2031 to 2035, which is expected to help improve project economics.

The Northwest Critical Conservation Corridor: Northwest British Columbia and the Yukon

Current announced projects referred to MPO linked to this strategy: Red Chris Mine Expansion, North Coast Transmission Line, Ksi Lisims LNG

Canada’s northwestern coast is home to the Golden Triangle - one of the world’s richest reserves of the minerals and metals that are essential for the energy transition as well as defence supply chains for Canada and our allies. It is also one of Canada’s gateways to global markets through the Pacific Ocean, and home to vibrant communities in a spectacular environment rich with mountains, glaciers, watersheds and coastal ecosystems

The Northwest Critical Conservation Corridor: Northwest British Columbia and the Yukon also includes a number of major projects including enabling infrastructure like the North Coast Transmission Line, and resource development like Ksi Lisims LNG (also referred to the MPO). Working with stakeholders and Rights‑holders towards our shared goals is an important part of this approach unlocking Canada’s economic potential, for the benefit of Canadians.

To finalise investment decisions on all key pieces of infrastructure and conservation areas that support the accelerated development of the Golden Triangle area, this initiative has been referred to the Major Projects Office to set up a coordinated plan for the region. Under the banner of “The Northwest Critical Conservation Corridor: Northwest British Columbia and the Yukon”, the investments needed will be evaluated and accelerated to ensure the potential of the region is achieved. 

Once realized, this Corridor will enhance Canada’s climate competitiveness, fundamentally transform the lives of thousands of Canadians, position Canada as a global leader in critical minerals, and drive prosperity across the country.

Arctic Economic and Security Corridor

The Arctic and Security Corridor is a strategic lifeline. Designed as dual-use infrastructure, it supports both Canada’s defence and economic goals. From fortified ports and all-season roads to runways and communications systems, it is built to serve military operations and commercial development alike. This corridor strengthens Canada’s Arctic sovereignty and opens new opportunities for northern communities and Canadian industry. It is where deterrence meets development — a backbone for both security and prosperity.

Latest updates: Budget 2025 proposes to provide $1 billion over four years, starting in 2025-26, to Transport Canada to create the Arctic Infrastructure Fund, which will invest in major transportation projects in the North with dual-use applications for civilian and military use, including airports, seaports, all-season roads, and highways. These investments will strengthen Canada’s sovereignty, support economic development and job creation in Northern communities, advance Indigenous economic reconciliation, and promote further trade diversification by opening new gateways to global markets. Dual use infrastructure investments in the North will reliably meet both military and local needs, and the government recognizes that Inuit, First Nations, and other communities are best placed to identify community needs.

To facilitate the Arctic Infrastructure Fund’s support for northern projects, Budget 2025 also proposes to provide $25.5 million over four years, starting in 2025-26, to Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, and $41.7 million over four years, starting in 2025-26, to Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, to help accelerate regulatory processes in Canada’s North—including consultation with Indigenous governments and organizations, and local northern communities. Canada is an Arctic nation. Indigenous partnerships are critical to Canada’s sovereignty and security related investments.