The federal government’s latest wave of so-called nation-building projects is being promoted as transformative for Canada’s future, yet the reality is far less national in scope. Many ventures are dominated by foreign corporations, state-owned enterprises, or government-backed financing rather than purely private investment. Benefits will be concentrated in a handful of regions, peoples and industries, leaving most Canadians on the sidelines. Alberta, despite being a powerhouse in energy and economic output, has once again been overlooked. Meanwhile, the province continues to fund these initiatives through federal transfers and tax contributions, with its net contribution to Ottawa estimated at roughly $22 billion annually.

A closer look at the first five projects chosen under the government’s fast-track program shows how limited the Canadian footprint really is and how a select group of partners stands to gain the most.

LNG Canada Phase 2 in Kitimat, B.C., would double output at Canada’s first liquefied natural gas export terminal from 14 million tonnes to 28 million tonnes a year. The Shell-led facility (a British multinational energy company), includes partners from Malaysia (Petroliam Nasional Berhad), China (PetroChina Company Ltd.), Japan (Mitsubishi Corporation), and South Korea (Korea Gas Corporation). 

The first $40-billion phase faced cost overruns tied to the Coastal GasLink pipeline. The expansion does not require a new pipeline, but its cost has not been disclosed, and a final investment decision has not yet been made. Technical setbacks have delayed a full ramp-up of phase one. Completion of phase two is projected in the early 2030s, with economic benefits concentrated in energy producers and the corporate partners involved.

The Red Chris Mine in northwest British Columbia is preparing a $2-billion underground expansion to extend the life of the existing open-pit copper and gold mine by a decade and boost provincial copper output by 15 per cent. The project is jointly owned by Colorado-based Newmont Corp. (70 per cent) and Vancouver’s Imperial Metals (30 per cent), with the nearby Tahltan Nation engaged in consultation. Approval is pending from both the Tahltan Nation and B.C.’s Environmental Assessment Office, and no firm completion date has been set.

Saskatchewan’s McIlvenna Bay project, wholly owned by Vancouver-based Foran Mining Corp., will extract copper and zinc from a massive deposit in the Flin Flon Greenstone Belt. Construction began in mid-2024, with commercial production expected by mid-2026. Designed as Canada’s first net-zero copper mine, the project relies on hydroelectric power and battery-electric vehicles, with an anticipated lifespan of up to 40 years. Costs have not been fully disclosed, and the economic benefits will mainly accrue to the mining company and its local Indigenous partners.

The Contrecoeur Terminal expansion of the Port of Montreal would increase container capacity by 60 per cent, handling up to 1.15 million twenty-foot containers annually. The terminal is being developed and operated by a partnership of DP World, based in Dubai, and the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, with financial support from the federal government, the province of Quebec, and the Canada Infrastructure Bank. Planning has taken more than a decade, with environmental approval granted in 2021. Completion is scheduled for 2030, with jobs and economic spinoffs benefiting local stakeholders and Indigenous communities, while the broader Canadian public sees little direct return.

Ontario Power Generation has started construction of the first small modular reactor (SMR) at the Darlington site east of Toronto. The 300-megawatt reactor, the first of four planned units, is expected to produce enough electricity for 1.2 million homes by 2030. Phase one carries an estimated cost of $6.1 billion, with the total four-unit project projected at $20.9 billion. The reactors involve technology from GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy and are supported by both federal and provincial governments. The project promises 18,000 construction jobs, 3,700 sustained positions, and $500 million in annual economic benefits, but these advantages are concentrated in Ontario and the companies involved.

These projects, for all their scale and publicity, highlight a widening imbalance in Ottawa’s approach to nation building. Federal money and bureaucracy are deeply involved in nearly every initiative, expanding government influence while concentrating benefits among a few regions and corporate partners. Meanwhile, Albertans continue to contribute far more than they receive in return, funding projects that bypass their province entirely. The absence of a major Alberta project underscores how Ottawa’s nation-building agenda often favors selective interests over a truly national vision.