Investing in major projects in Canada: the new Major Projects Office

Canada is Opening the Door to Strategic Investment in Energy, Infrastructure and Critical Resources

Thanks to the new Major Projects Office (MPO), foreign — and particularly European — companies now have a unique window of opportunity to establish a presence, innovate, and integrate into Canadian supply chains.

Why Canada is Becoming a Strategic Market for Industrial Investment

Since 2024, Canada has been accelerating its economic transformation. Under the leadership of Mark Carney, the country has adopted an ambitious industrial policy focused on energy sovereignty, green infrastructure renewal, critical minerals, and industrial decarbonization.

Everything points toward one clear goal: attract major projects and deliver them quickly.

To make that happen, Ottawa created a new tool: the Major Projects Office (MPO).

The Major Projects Office: A One-Stop Shop for Strategic Projects

Based in Calgary and led by Dawn Farrell, the MPO was designed as a national project accelerator. It serves as a federal one-stop shop to coordinate:

• Environmental assessments

• Intergovernmental authorizations

• Indigenous consultations

• Public and private financing structures

Its mission: cut approval timelines to under 24 months, for projects that often remain stalled for years.

The political objective is clear: Position Canada as the North American hub for clean energy, strategic resources, and future-proof infrastructure.

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11 Strategic Projects Currently Under Review (2025)

Here are examples of major projects being tracked by the MPO as of 2025:

Project	Sector	Province	Comment
Port of Contrecœur	Green logistics	Quebec	St. Lawrence River capacity relief
LNG Canada – Phase 2	Energy (LNG)	British Columbia	Exports to Asia
Kuugaluk	Indigenous hydropower	Nunavut	$500M, 100% Inuit-owned
Crawford Nickel	Critical minerals	Ontario	Large-scale battery-grade nickel
Ksi Lisims LNG	Floating LNG	B.C.	Led by Nisga’a Nation
Darlington SMRs	Nuclear	Ontario	4 SMRs, $2B
Arctic Corridor	Transport & defense	Northern Canada	900 km strategic highway
Mackenzie Valley Highway (study)	Arctic logistics	Northwest Territories	$1.65B, mining and supply chain focus

More Than Projects: A Tool to Relaunch Canada’s Economy

Beyond fast-tracking approvals, the MPO is a central part of Canada’s broader economic strategy to:

• Create skilled local jobs

• Re-shore critical supply chains

• Build complete industrial ecosystems (batteries, green steel, transport)

• Meet climate commitments

This is reinforced by a shift toward economic sovereignty, clearly visible in public procurement policy.

Legal and Financial Tools

Bill C-5

• Allows a project to be designated as “national interest”

• Can accelerate or bypass certain regulatory stages

• Contested by some Indigenous and environmental groups

Funding

$214M over 5 years for MPO operations (Budget 2025)

Related funds include:

• Canada Growth Fund

• Canada Infrastructure Bank

• Northern Corridors Fund

• Indigenous Infrastructure Fund

Domestic Preference: What Foreign Firms Need to Know

➤ In Ontario

Since 2023, Ontario’s Procurement Restriction Policy has limited access to provincial public contracts for certain U.S.-based firms.This policy was introduced in response to U.S. protectionist measures like the Buy American Act.

In practice, this means many Ontario-funded infrastructure contracts exclude U.S. suppliers or apply a 25% evaluation penalty to their bids. European firms are not typically affected, giving them a relative edge in Ontario’s public tenders.

➤ In Quebec

The Quebec government applies a temporary differentiated treatment toward U.S. suppliers, often applying a 25% penalty on bids from American firms in response to a lack of reciprocal access.

Does this close the door to foreign firms?

Not at all. Canadian public and private buyers are actively seeking international expertise, especially from Europe — in areas like:

• Specialized engineering (hydrogen, nuclear, energy grids)

• Clean technologies (carbon capture, batteries, renewable energy)

The preferred model: Canadian–international consortiums, where foreign firms contribute high-value expertise, technology, or capital, while delivering local economic benefits.

A Window of Opportunity for non-US Firms

Several regional industrial hubs are actively forming — in Bécancour, Saguenay, Northern Ontario, and British Columbia.It’s the right moment to enter, especially through partnerships with Canadian firms.

A notable signal: the 2025 bilateral agreement between Canada and Germany on critical minerals.

This deal:

• Aims to secure European access to Canadian strategic resources (nickel, graphite, lithium, etc.)

• Includes co-financing of extraction, processing, and recycling projects

• Already involves several Canadian and German companies in battery and refining supply chains

Why Act Now

• Canada is investing massively in critical infrastructure linked to energy, raw materials, and decarbonization

• The Major Projects Office is streamlining approvals and opening doors to private-sector partners

• European companies have a real window of opportunity, especially if they:

  • Understand the political framework

  • Build strong local alliances

  • Offer high-value, future-oriented solutions

Note:

In line with its broader push for openness and diversified partnerships, Canada signed an agreement in 2025 with the European Union in the defense sector, granting it access to the EU’s SAFE procurement program (€150 billion), while reciprocally opening parts of its own public defense markets to European companies.

This reflects a broader trend: Canada is actively seeking reliable, strategic foreign partners — not only for civil projects (infrastructure, energy, critical minerals), but also in sovereign domains such as cybersecurity, military equipment, and defense logistics.

How Adexia Can Support You

The opportunity is clear. The political framework is in place. But navigating Canadian regulations, localization rules, and institutional expectations requires local expertise.

Adexia helps European and international companies position themselves on Canada’s major projects, whether you need to:

• Identify the right local partners

• Understand procurement and local content rules

• Build a strong investment or consortium strategy

• Establish a long-term presence in Quebec or across Canada

Our strength: a deep understanding of political, economic, and territorial dynamics — and the ability to connect your strategic ambitions with Canada’s operational reality. You bring the vision. We’ll help make it happen in Canada.

Enjoy this article? Check out our other resources on international development and market trends to take your project in Canada one step further!

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