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Prime Minister Mark Carney has unveiled the new Major Projects Office (MPO), a central hub designed to accelerate the development of major infrastructure across Canada.
Created under the Building Canada Act, passed earlier this year, the MPO will reduce approval timelines for nationally significant projects such as ports, railways, energy corridors, and clean energy developments to a maximum of two years. The office will also co-ordinate financing with private partners, provinces, and federal initiatives like the Canada Infrastructure Bank, while ensuring environmental standards and Indigenous rights remain protected.
Headquartered in Calgary, with offices in other cities, the MPO will provide a single point of contact for project proponents. The government says the approach will streamline regulatory reviews under a “one project, one review” model, aiming to reverse years of stalled projects caused by overlapping and lengthy approval processes.
To lead the new office, the Prime Minister has appointed Dawn Farrell, a veteran energy executive with decades of experience at Trans Mountain, TransAlta, and BC Hydro. An Indigenous Advisory Council, with representatives from First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities, will be confirmed in September to ensure Indigenous leadership and priorities remain central.
“Canada has always been a nation of builders,” Carney said at the programs launch. “At this hinge moment in our history, we must act decisively to transform our economy and build the infrastructure that unlocks Canada’s full potential.”
The government will announce the first slate of priority projects in the coming weeks.
(Written by: Jospeh Goden)
