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RSVP: Unpacking Carney’s major projects push

Join The Narwhal for a free Zoom event on Dec. 2 to unpack the process, politics and potential impacts of the federal government’s push to build major projects

By Carl Meyer

Nov. 20, 2025

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Aerial view over a sprawling highway interchange, with a large parking lot in one corner

As a regular reader, you likely know The Narwhal has been hard at work sorting hype from facts in Prime Minister Mark Carney’s effort to get big development projects built quickly.

As I wrote in last week’s newsletter, Carney’s controversial Building Canada Act created a pathway for projects to avoid certain regulatory requirements, and he’s sent about a dozen proposals — in mining, energy, electricity and transportation — to the new Major Projects Office in hopes they can be sped along.

So far, though, not one has been officially designated as a project in the “national interest,” and not one has been given any special ability to bypass regulatory hurdles.

Some of you have sent seriously good questions about what’s really happening with the proposals referred to the Major Projects Office — and other projects that have the federal government’s eye.

That’s why I’m thrilled to invite you to join The Narwhal for a free Zoom event. My colleagues and I will fill you in on what we’ve learned so far, and what questions we’re still trying to answer.

The online panel discussion will take place on Tuesday, Dec. 2, at 9 a.m. PT / 10 a.m. MT / 11 a.m CT / 12 p.m. ET. Spaces are limited, so be sure to RSVP today to guarantee your virtual seat!

Text: Fast Track? Unpacking Carney's major project push. Illustration: collage of images including Mark Carney cheering, dirt bikers jumping, a wind turbine and power plant

Ontario reporter Fatima Syed will moderate the discussion, and I’ll be joined on the panel by B.C. politics and environment reporter Shannon Waters and Prairies reporter Drew Anderson.

We’d love to answer as many of your questions about the major projects push as possible. If you already have one in mind, please let us know by replying to this email or by including it when you register.

Take care and talk soon,

Carl Meyer
Ontario reporter, climate investigations

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A deer in a grassy area rears up to nibble on tree branches

Oh, deer!

What do clear-cut logging and black-tailed deer have in common in British Columbia? They both, if left unchecked, can have devastating consequences for local ecosystems.

That first one won’t come as a surprise to many. It’s perhaps surprising, though, that the B.C. forests minister recently said clear-cutting — or the style of it that contributes to increased flood risk — is a thing of the past. B.C. politics and environment reporter Shannon Waters has the scoop on that: read it on our website, or check out the short video version on YouTube.

Deer, on the other hand, might not come to mind when you think of ecological supervillains. But check out the photos in Steph Kwetásel’wet Wood’s latest reporting — they offer a stark comparison of what Gulf Island ecosystems look like where deer are present, compared to where they are not.

Steph spoke with a University of British Columbia professor, who’s been studying the issue for years, about new research that suggests Indigenous hunting could be the best management solution for people and the environment.

I’ve spent hours on Salt Spring Island’s impressive network of trails — where tall, majestic trees rise from an open, nearly bare forest floor — and I’ll never look at that landscape the same way again. Find the full story on our website.

— Jacqueline Ronson, assistant editor

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Narwhal reporters are digging deep to find out what’s really happening with major projects in Canada. Tell a friend, and remind them to subscribe to our newsletter!

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