Proposed highway, Arctic port and nuclear waste repository move into the federal review process under the Building Canada Act, signalling potential opportunities for Canada’s heavy civil construction sector.
The federal government has initiated the process to designate three major infrastructure projects as projects of ‘national interest’ under the Building Canada Act, a move intended to accelerate approvals for nationally significant developments while creating new opportunities for contractors working in transportation, utility and heavy civil infrastructure.
Announced in Yellowknife on June 24, the projects include the proposed Mackenzie Valley Highway in the Northwest Territories, the Grays Bay Road and Port project and a deep geological repository for used nuclear fuel in northwestern Ontario. The first two projects were referred to the federal Major Projects Office (MPO) earlier this year, while the repository entered the process this week.
If approved by cabinet, the Mackenzie Valley Highway and Grays Bay Road and Port could become the first projects to receive ‘national interest’ designation under the Building Canada Act later this year.
Faster approvals for major infrastructure
The Building Canada Act, introduced through Bill C-5, is designed to reduce federal approval timelines for nationally significant projects from as long as five years to approximately two years through a “one project, one review” process that streamlines environmental assessments, permitting and regulatory reviews.
Federal officials emphasized that referral to the MPO does not guarantee project approval but begins a coordinated assessment process intended to improve certainty for project proponents while maintaining environmental standards and Indigenous consultation requirements.
For general contractors, the streamlined framework could improve procurement certainty for large-scale transportation, resource development and energy infrastructure projects.
Significant opportunities in transportation and energy
Among the proposed projects, the approximately 800-kilometre Mackenzie Valley Highway would establish an all-season transportation corridor connecting several northern communities while improving access between Yellowknife and Inuvik.
The Grays Bay Road and Port project would include a 230-kilometre road linking the Nunavut border to a new Arctic deepwater port and airstrip, supporting resources development and strengthening northern supply chains.
The third project, a deep geological repository proposed by the Nuclear Waste Management Organization near Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation in Ontario, would provide long-term underground storage for Canada’s used nuclear fuel and support continued investment across the country’s expanding nuclear energy sector.
Together with other projects currently in front of the MPO, the federal government estimates that the overall project pipeline represents more than $138 billion in potential investment and the creation of tens of thousands of jobs within construction and the skilled trades across the country.