The federal government has taken its first concrete step toward fast-tracking major infrastructure under a new law. According to CBC News, Ottawa has launched the process that could lead to three projects being listed as projects of national interest under the Building Canada Act. It is the first time the government has sought to use the extraordinary new powers granted by Bill C-5, marking a test of the legislation it passed to speed up construction.
Officials presented the move as delivering on a commitment to Canadians. The government said it is proud to announce that it is launching the process, casting the day as a shift from years of discussion to action under the slogan of less talking, more building. Declaring a project to be in the national interest is meant to streamline the approval process, cutting through steps that have long held up large developments.
At the centre of the list is a road that has been on the drawing board for generations. The Mackenzie Valley Highway would create all-year road access for isolated communities in the Northwest Territories, a project officials said has been discussed for more than 50 years, including in a 1972 CBC documentary. Backers argue it would finally connect remote northern communities that have waited decades for reliable year-round links.
The government also pointed to a major project in another part of the country. Among those being advanced is a nuclear waste site in Northern Ontario, another proposal officials said has been talked about for decades. The government framed both files as proof that long-stalled developments can move forward, saying the day was about making good on a promise it had made to Canadians.
Not everyone was convinced the announcement amounts to real progress. Critics dismissed it as more process, accusing the government of wanting to cut ribbons rather than get results and of spending the past year doing victory laps. They argued the announcement does not actually move the projects forward, warning that no matter what, it will be years before any of them are finished, and saying they want to see the money actually get spent.
Another large project is already waiting in the wings. Alberta has said it will submit a pipeline proposal by Canada Day, now less than a week away, setting up a further test of how the government will use its new powers. The coming weeks are expected to show whether the national-interest designation translates into faster construction or simply adds another layer to a long approval process.