The federal government is preparing to invest in major port expansions across Canada as part of its plan to fast-track nation-building infrastructure project approvals and completions, The Globe and Mail reported.

The government has flagged the country’s most northern deepwater port at Churchill, Man., Montreal’s Contrecoeur terminal, facilities in Saint John and Belledune in New Brunswick, and the Vancouver area’s Roberts Bank Terminal 2.

A draft list of 32 infrastructure projects obtained by the newspaper outlines candidates for accelerated approval under the new Building Canada Act. Alongside the port expansions, the list identifies transportation projects such as the Mackenzie Valley Highway in the Northwest Territories, twinning sections of the Trans-Canada Highway, and a proposed Toronto–Quebec City high-speed rail line.

The list also names several large-scale energy projects. These include LNG Canada Phase 2 in Kitimat, B.C.; the Ksi Lisims LNG project backed by the Nisga’a Nation in northwestern B.C.; Ontario’s Darlington small modular nuclear reactors; Newfoundland’s Bay du Nord offshore oil project; Quebec and Labrador’s Gull Island hydro development; new transmission lines in Yukon, Nunavut and Atlantic Canada; and Alberta’s Pathways Alliance carbon-capture and storage project.

It also highlights the proposed Northwest Coast Oil Pipeline linking Alberta crude to Asian markets, a plan strongly supported by Alberta Premier Danielle Smith but opposed by the B.C. government and Coastal First Nations.

Prime Minister Mark Carney campaigned on a promise to speed approvals for large-scale projects to stimulate the economy, which faces pressures from U.S. protectionist trade policies. His government has set up a Major Projects Office in Calgary, led by former Trans Mountain CEO Dawn Farrell, to oversee the process.

Minister Dominic LeBlanc’s office plans to consult with Indigenous communities and other stakeholders before final decisions are made, the Globe reported.

“We are confident that the designated projects will help diversify our trading relationships and unlock Canada’s full economic potential,” spokesperson Gabriel Brunet said.

This week, Carney had a two-day cabinet forum to plan for the upcoming fall budget. Following the forum, Carney announced that his Liberal government will prioritize the nation-building infrastructure, defence and housing to catalyze private investment.

Pictured: Roberts Bank container terminal in Delta, B.C.

Photo: Vancouver Fraser Port Authority