Tuesday, September 2, 2025
Prime Minister, Mark Carney, launched the new Major Projects Office (MPO). The MPO is headquartered in Calgary and will have offices in other major Canadian cities. Its mandate is to serve as a single point of contact to get nation-building projects built faster. It will do so in two principal ways. First, by streamlining and accelerating regulatory approval processes. Second, by helping to structure and co-ordinate financing of these projects as needed.
The Prime Minister also announced the appointment of Dawn Farrell to spearhead this mission as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Major Projects Office.
The MPO will help to identify projects that are in Canada’s national interest and will help fast-track their development. The MPO will accelerate projects by creating a single set of conditions, thereby reducing the approval timeline for projects of national interest to a maximum of two years. To that end, it will work with provinces and territories to achieve a “one project, one review” approach for environmental assessments. Leveraging its expertise, the Major Projects Office will also help streamline approvals for all major projects across government, not just those designated under the Building Canada Act.
“Canada has always been a nation of builders, from the St. Lawrence Seaway to Expo 67. At this hinge moment in our history, Canada must draw on this legacy and act decisively to transform our economy from reliance to resilience. We are moving at a speed not seen in generations to build ports, railways, energy grids – the major projects that will unlock Canada’s full economic potential and build Canada strong. I am thrilled that Dawn Farrell, one of Canada’s most experienced executives, is stepping up to help lead this vital priority,” said Carney.
The MPO will work to attract domestic and global capital to these major projects. The MPO will help structure and co-ordinate financing from the private sector, provincial and territorial partners, and government initiatives, including the Canada Infrastructure Bank, the Canada Growth Fund, and the Indigenous Loan Guarantee Program. In doing so, the MPO will deliver value for money for taxpayers, new jobs, and faster growth for Canadians.
Farrell brings four decades of experience in Canada’s energy sector, including as president, CEO, and Board Chair of Trans Mountain Corporation, president and CEO of TransAlta Corporation, and as a senior executive at BC Hydro. Her extensive executive experience, deep expertise in implementing large projects, and wide-ranging understanding of regulatory processes and industry relations will be invaluable to the effectiveness of the MPO.
The Major Projects Office will benefit from the expert advice of an Indigenous Advisory Council. The membership of the council will be confirmed next month and will be comprised of representatives from First Nations, Inuit, Métis, and Modern Treaty and Self-Governing partners. Over the summer, the Prime Minister convened meetings with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis rights holders to engage Indigenous leadership on their priorities and the opportunities for equity ownership and resource management of major projects. As legislated in the Building Canada Act, partnership and consultation with Indigenous Peoples is central to the work of the Major Projects Office and the government’s broader mission to build major infrastructure faster.
“The Major Projects Office represents a transformative shift in how we deliver vital infrastructure projects. Canada needs to build here at home at speeds not seen in generations. By working closely with provincial, territorial and Indigenous governments to streamline and simplify approval processes, the Office will help diversify our trading relationships, strengthen our position as an energy superpower in both clean and conventional energy and promote Canada’s long-term economic prosperity,” said Dominic LeBlanc, President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade, Intergovernmental Affairs and One Canadian Economy.
Featured image: (Government of Canada)
