OTTAWA — Ottawa is anticipated to announce Wednesday that it’ll start the method of designating two key Arctic infrastructure tasks as being within the nationwide curiosity, say authorities sources.
The tasks are the primary Ottawa has signalled it would elevate to turn out to be tasks of nationwide curiosity beneath the Constructing Canada Act, which permits the federal government to fast-track approvals and permit them to skirt some environmental legal guidelines.
Three federal and territorial authorities sources, who weren’t licensed to discuss the announcement earlier than it’s public, offered particulars to The Canadian Press.
They mentioned the Grays Bay street and port mission in Nunavut and the Mackenzie Valley freeway mission within the Northwest Territories are to be introduced at a information convention in Yellowknife.
The Grays Bay street and port mission would see a 230-kilometre all-season street constructed by way of the N.W.T. and Nunavut, unlocking mining alternatives for vital minerals within the North.
The Mackenzie Valley freeway mission would see an all-season street from Yellowknife to Inuvik, chopping down journey occasions and passing by way of communities at the moment accessible solely by air, winter roads or barges.
Each tasks had been referred to the most important tasks workplace in March.
To date, not one of the 15 tasks the federal authorities despatched to the workplace have been given nationwide curiosity designation and even begun the method to get it.
To obtain the designation, tasks have to undergo a session interval with provinces, territories and Indigenous teams.
Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon and Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Rebecca Alty are anticipated to announce the start of that course of Wednesday.
Prime Minister Mark Carney rammed the Constructing Canada Act by way of Parliament earlier than the Home of Commons rose final summer season. Since then, the opposition has criticized him for not utilizing the federal government’s new powers.
The one mission Ottawa has signalled an intent to designate is a potential oil pipeline to the West Coast as a part of an power cope with Alberta.
The federal authorities dedicated in a memorandum of understanding in November to designate a pipeline as within the nationwide curiosity. No such mission has been submitted for consideration to the most important tasks workplace. The deal set a deadline of July 1 to submit an software.
Power Minister Tim Hodgson can be set to be on the Yellowknife announcement.
The sources mentioned he’s anticipated to announce an replace on a deep geological repository for Canada’s nuclear waste.
In November 2024, the Township of Ignace and Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation space in northwestern Ontario had been chosen as areas for the repository.
This report by The Canadian Press was first printed June 23, 2026.
Nick Murray, The Canadian Press
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