Prime Minister Mark Carney’s long-anticipated first phase of nation-building projects includes a liquefied natural gas (LNG) expansion project and other potential projects that span from coast to coast to coast.
Carney announced the first five projects being recommended for approval in Edmonton on Thursday on the sidelines of the Liberal caucus retreat that is underway.
CTV News obtained a document listing the projects moving forward prior to Thursday’s announcement.
LNG Canada Phase 2, based in Kitimat, B.C., is among the projects on the list. The expansion – which already had momentum to move ahead – would double Canada’s production of liquefied natural gas.
For years, former prime minister Justin Trudeau insisted there was no “business case” to export Canadian LNG to Europe. But in recent months, Carney and his government have been promoting Canadian LNG to new markets like Germany.
Energy and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson said in an interview with “The Vassy Kapelos Show” last month that “there are buyers” for Canadian LNG.
The other four projects on the list include:
- The Darlington New Nuclear Project in Clarington, Ont., that would make Canada the first G7 country to have an operational small modular reactor (SMR)
- The Contrecœur Terminal Container Project in Contrecœur, Qué., that would expand the Port of Montréal’s capacity by approximately 60 per cent
- The McIlvenna Bay Foran Copper Mine Project in east-central Saskatchewan
- and, the Red Chris Mine expansion in northwest British Columbia
With files from CTV News’ Spencer Van Dyk