Three new critical minerals projects will advance to the recently created Major Projects Office (MPO), Prime Minister Mark Carney announced on Thursday, unveiling the second tranche of nation-building initiatives aimed at accelerating infrastructure and resource development across the country.

The new referrals to the MPO  – a fast-track approvals body established under the Building Canada Act – include electricity infrastructure, liquefied natural gas (LNG) and three critical minerals projects.

Earlier this month, as part of the federal Critical Minerals Strategy, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson and Canada’s G7 partners unveiled 26 new investments and partnerships valued at $6.4-billion to accelerate project development and solidify Canada’s position as a secure supplier of choice.

Three new critical minerals projects added to the MPO docket include Canada Nickel’s Crawford project, in Timmins, Ontario. The operation will produce high-quality, low-carbon nickel for batteries and green steel, with projected emissions 90% below global averages and the potential for a net-negative carbon footprint. The project is expected to attract C$5-billion in investment and create thousands of jobs.

The second project is Nouveau Monde Graphite’s Matawinie mine, in Saint-Michel-des-Saints, Québec. The openpit graphite project will supply material for battery and defence applications and integrate with the planned Bécancour Battery Material Plant. The development will bolster Canadian supply resilience, support the clean-energy transition and deliver over 1 000 jobs along with C$1.8-billion in investment.

Northcliff Resources’ Sisson mine, in Sisson Brook, New Brunswick, is the third project. The mine will produce tungsten, a strategic metal used in high-strength steel, defence applications and industrial tools. With global tungsten production heavily concentrated, the mine has the potential to establish Canada as a secure supplier for domestic and allied industries. The project will generate several hundred jobs.

Carney also referred the Northwest Critical Conservation Corridor in Northwest British Columbia and the Yukon to the MPO. This corridor sits atop vast deposits of critical minerals and has the potential to unlock world-class resources while creating a conservation area the size of Greece.

Referring the corridor to the MPO ensures it can realise its extraordinary potential for critical minerals development and clean power transmission, while upholding Indigenous rights and supporting Indigenous project leadership.

"This corridor will fundamentally transform the lives of thousands of Canadians, position Canada as a global leader in critical minerals, and drive prosperity across the country. Realising this potential will require a coordinated effort with provincial and Indigenous partners to build transmission lines, upgrade highways, install fibre and cell towers, and invest in communities, ports, and railway lines. Infrastructure investments under this strategy also link clean electricity to Canada’s ability to export LNG. Extending transmission to the Yukon can also power the North and has the potential to unlock additional resources."

In addition to the referral of the Red Chris Mine expansion in September, two further projects in this region being referred to the MPO include the North Coast Transmission Line – north-west British Columbia and the Ksi Lisims LNG, in Pearse Island, British Columbia.

Carney said the referral of the new projects aligned with the government’s broader plan to strengthen critical minerals production while driving new infrastructure investment across the country.

Unlocking these resources, he noted, would attract “hundreds of billions of dollars” in long-term capital and create thousands of high-paying jobs for miners, engineers and tradespeople. 

The government also emphasised that projects under the MPO framework would advance in partnership with Indigenous communities, including opportunities for equity participation.

NATION-BUILDING
 The second tranche of MPO referrals builds on the first set announced in September, bringing the combined investment value of referred projects to more than C$116-billion. Budget 2025 outlines a plan to mobilise over C$1-trillion in investment over five years across strategic infrastructure, clean-energy grids, ports, mines and trade corridors.

Carney said Canada’s accelerated approvals, expanded clean-economy tax credits and new international partnerships – including the recently launched G7 Critical Minerals Production Alliance – send a clear signal that the country intends to lead in energy-transition materials.

“Faced with uncertainty, Canada’s new government is making bold choices to grow our economy stronger than ever before – with major investments, faster approvals, and a clear signal to workers and industry: it’s time to build,” Carney stated. “We are building sustainably, in partnership with Indigenous Peoples, and we are building Canadian – with Canadian workers, materials, and expertise.”