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“Good” and “positive” were among the words thrown around by the premiers to describe the First Ministers’ Meeting on Monday in Saskatoon, with Ontario Premier Doug Ford saying it was the best meeting the group has had in 10 years.
“We all walked out of that room united, and that’s the most important thing,” said Ford.
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Premier Scott Moe, left, hosted the First Ministers’ Meeting in Saskatoon on June 2, 2025. Also pictured are Prime Minister Mark Carney, centre, and Ontario Premier Doug Ford. (Lisa Schick/980 CJME)
Going into the meeting, the premiers were asked to come with a list of nation-building projects to discuss.
There was no specific list of projects released that the federal government will work on, but Prime Minister Mark Carney said they discussed the eastern energy partnership, critical minerals pathways, and the next stage of nuclear.
The federal Liberals have yet to reveal in Parliament their promised legislation to speed up approvals for select projects to a maximum of two years. That could be tabled as early as this week.
When he was pressed on the lack of specifics after the meeting, Carney told reporters he could name lots of examples of contenders.
He then rattled off a list that included the Grays Bay Road and Port, which would connect southern Canada to the Arctic by road, along with the Ring of Fire mining project in northern Ontario. Notably, he also name dropped the Pathways Alliance oilsands project, though he did not commit to any.
When our country comes under attack, we unite. pic.twitter.com/mNW5WE9Lf5
— Doug Ford (@fordnation) June 2, 2025
Project priority will be refined over summer
Carney said the group would refine what should count as priority projects over the summer months and touted that as “private proponents become aware of the opportunity here, we’re going to see more projects coming forward.”
He said the upcoming federal legislation will also mandate meaningful consultation with Indigenous Peoples, including in which projects get picked and how they are developed.
Carney said the the western and Arctic trade corridor project could end up including a pipeline, saying there are ways to “decarbonize” that, making a point to specify that decarbonized barrels of oil would be “within the broader context of national interest.”
“Yes, there’s real potential there,” he said. “It took up a good deal of our time in discussions with potential to move forward on that. If further developed, the federal government will look to advance it.”
He said there is a way to building up the energy infrastructure and that the market is there in Asia, but he also said a pipeline would be in a big framework of the corridor the western premiers have come up with.
“And sometimes the discussion is reduced far too much to one type of project, but the range of what we’re discussing is much, much bigger than that,” said Carney.
Encouraged by today’s discussion with Canada’s Premiers and Prime Minister Mark Carney about accelerating nation-building infrastructure projects that will help grow our economy and make Canada an energy superpower. pic.twitter.com/UmuDqQ8zNj
— Scott Moe (@PremierScottMoe) June 2, 2025
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said that project is significant to many other projects besides oil.
“It would go in the vicinity of two hydroelectric facilities and allow actually start to advance additional power into industries that are creating wealth and creating jobs in northern parts of our provinces,” said Moe, also talking about ways to get potash and agrifoods to market.
Moe said the opportunities around advancing ports are tremendously valuable.
“This is … a generational opportunity for us to achieve some of the aspiration the prime minister has put forward, (and) a generational opportunity for Canadians as well, and I really look forward to where these discussions go over the course of the next number of months,” said Moe.
The federal government is set to introduce legislation to clear a faster pathway for large projects to go forward.
“That’s what we’re talking about, moving the country forward, building the country … that’s what we’re here for, that’s what we’re committed to, that’s what the focus of the discussion was today,” said Carney.
The prime minister said the discussions on Monday between the premiers were looking at projects bigger and broader for the country, just what Canada’s ambitions need to be.
“We know what we have and now we’re going to build on it, taking matters absolutely in our control. We’re united, we’re going to build together and we’re going to build for all, we’re going to build for all Canadians,” said Carney.
— with files from Canadian Press
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