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Ottawa to Launch Major Projects Office This Week as LNG Push to Europe Gains Steam

Ministers signal initial priorities within two weeks including port expansions at Contrecoeur and Churchill.

The outside of a massive liquefied natural gas storage tank is seen under construction at the LNG Canada export terminal, in Kitimat, B.C., on Wednesday, September 28, 2022. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press)
Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Tim Hodgson arrives for a meeting of the federal cabinet in West Block on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Wednesday, May 14, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
FILE - Tim Hodgson, minister of Energy and Natural Resources, provides an update on the forecast for the 2025 wildfires season at the National Press Theatre in Ottawa on Thursday, June 12, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Tim Hodgson says German importers are interested in buying Canadian liquefied natural gas — and that the government is looking at how to better get the resource to the international market.

Overview

  • Energy Minister Tim Hodgson said the office will be unveiled Thursday or Friday with its leadership and plans, followed by the first project announcements within two weeks.
  • Under Bill C-5, rushed through Parliament in June, the office must be operational before Ottawa can issue fast-tracked approvals that aim to cut timelines to about two years.
  • Prime Minister Mark Carney highlighted new federal investments in port infrastructure, naming Montreal’s Contrecoeur expansion and a revitalized Churchill hub as areas to watch.
  • Hodgson reported German industry interest in Canadian LNG and projected potential exports to Europe by roughly 2032, noting buyers could swap West Coast cargoes to meet nearer-term demand.
  • Opposition leader Pierre Poilievre criticized the lack of firm proposals and construction starts, while the government stressed projects will require provincial coordination and Indigenous partnership.