Photo: Reuters

The Canadian government under Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced that five major projects will be fast-tracked. That means these big works will get special, quicker approval so they can start sooner.

They’re doing this to diversify the economy and reduce how much Canada depends on the United States, especially since trade with the U.S. has become tougher due to tariffs (taxes on imports and exports).

Why It Takes So Long Normally

Right now, the process to approve big projects like mines or pipelines can take up to ten years. There are many regulatory rules, environmental checks, consultations with Indigenous peoples, paperwork, and so on.

Because of these delays, many projects are stuck or very slow. The new plan wants to cut through red tape (unnecessary delays) and make the approval process faster and smoother.

What’s Being Created

• The government has set up a new group called the Major Projects Office. This office will help with:
• Coordinating between different government departments
• Helping companies make sure they follow rules correctly
• Reducing bureaucratic hurdles so things like permits and approvals take less time
• The Five Projects to Be Fast-Tracked
• Here are the five projects that will get priority under this new plan:

LNG Canada Plant Expansion (British Columbia)
The plan is to double the production at the Shell-led LNG plant in Kitimat, B.C. (liquefied natural gas). That means producing much more gas that can be shipped overseas.

Red Chris Mine Expansion (British Columbia)
A mine that produces gold and copper is going to be made bigger. This means more mining activity, more jobs, and more copper and gold output.

Copper Mine by Foran (Saskatchewan)
Foran is planning to build a new copper mine. Copper is an important metal used in many things like electronics and renewable energy.

Montreal Port Terminal Expansion (Quebec)
The port of Montréal’s container terminal will be expanded. That means it can handle more shipping containers, which helps with trade, imports, and exports.

Small Modular Nuclear Reactor (Ontario)
Ontario will build a small modular reactor (SMR). It is a kind of smaller, newer style nuclear power unit. These reactors are often easier to build and may be safer than large ones.

What the Government Says

Prime Minister Carney said that Canada used to build big things quickly, and it’s time to get back to that. He wants the country to build again, faster, without so much waiting.

The government also said these projects are in the national interest — meaning they matter for the country’s future. They will help Canada become stronger economically, create jobs, and reduce the risk of being too dependent on one export market (like the U.S.).

Benefits Expected

If this works well, people expect many good outcomes:

• More Jobs — Building plants, mines, ports, reactors needs many workers: engineers, construction workers, technicians.
• Stronger Economy — More resources produced at home, more exports, more trade, more investment.
• Better Infrastructure — Ports, mines, and energy plants will help move goods, produce energy, and support industries.
• Cleaner Energy — Some projects like the SMR reactor and more efficient mines are expected to have lower environmental impact than some older ones.

Challenges to Watch

Even though this plan is promising, there are things that could make it hard:

• Environmental Checks — Projects must still meet environmental rules. Getting this right takes time.
• Indigenous Consultation — Many of the lands are on or near Indigenous peoples’ territories. Talking to them and getting their agreement is crucial and can take time.
• Financing — Building big projects costs lots of money. Getting investors, ensuring budgets do not balloon, managing costs will be important.
• Public Support — Sometimes people worry about things like noise, pollution, change to land use. Getting public trust is essential.

What This Means for Canada’s Future

• This move is a sign that Canada wants to move faster in building its own energy, trade, and infrastructure. Here are some long-term impacts:
• Canada can become more self-reliant (not depending too much on others for trade or energy).
• With more mines, better energy plants, and expanded ports, Canada may be able to export not just more, but also to more countries beyond the U.S.
• It can help in the transition to cleaner energy because new technologies (like small reactors) can replace older, more polluting sources.
• Mark Carney said, “We used to build big things in this country, and we used to build them quickly.” He wants to return to that style.
• The Major Projects Office is meant to cut down delays and coordinate things better.

Big Picture

Canada is not alone in this idea. Many countries are trying to speed up their approval processes for big infrastructure and energy projects. This is because there is pressure from climate change, from trade disruptions, from global demand for clean energy, and from companies wanting to invest but being held back by slow paperwork.To sum up: the Canadian government is stepping in with a plan to speed up five big energy and trade-related projects. These include a gas plant expansion, new mines, a port terminal, and a nuclear reactor. The aim is to reduce delays, create jobs, make Canada more independent economically, and build for the future.

There are challenges like environment checks and community consultation, but if the plan succeeds, it may reshape how fast and how well Canada can build big projects. It’s a move toward doing big things again — but doing them smarter and faster.