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Major Projects Office of Canada: Initial Projects under Consideration
A defining moment for Canada
Canada stands at a pivotal juncture as the global economy undergoes profound transformation. Decisive action is required to secure Canada’s long-term prosperity; this is a moment to act with ambition, confidence, and purpose.
This is Canada’s opportunity to think big and deliver on projects that will define the next century. We must build critical nation-building projects at speeds not seen in generations. These projects will create the infrastructure to diversify our trading relationships, unlock new markets, and position Canada as both a clean-energy and conventional-energy superpower.
Canada must provide clear and predictable regulatory pathways to attract global capital, accelerate innovation, and encourage domestic investment. By doing so, we will not only grow our economy but also protect Canadian industries from over-reliance on any single export market, strengthening our sovereignty and resilience.
We can transform our natural wealth, our world-class workforce, and our entrepreneurial spirit into engines of prosperity. With the right choices, Canada can lead in the energy transition, shape the future of critical mineral supply chains, and become a global hub for technology and advanced manufacturing.
Projects of national significance for further consideration
Projects deemed to be of national importance and significance are being referred to the Major Projects Office who will continue to work with proponents, provinces, territories and Indigenous Peoples to find the right way forward for these projects. The initial projects under consideration are:
LNG Canada Phase 2 – Kitimat, BC
Proponent: LNG Canada
This project would double LNG Canada’s production of liquefied natural gas, making it the second largest facility of its kind in the world. It is expected to attract $33B in private-sector capital to Canada, contribute to our GDP growth, and support jobs and economic growth in local communities. It will deliver low-carbon intensity Canadian energy to global markets and help diversify Canada’s trading partners – including those with increasing energy demands in Asia and Europe. The Major Projects Office will ensure that the final work on LNG Canada will create the pathway for other proponents of LNG projects that are strategic to the nation.
Darlington New Nuclear Project – Bowmanville, ON
Proponent: Ontario Power Generation
This project will make Canada the first G7 country to have an operational small modular reactor (SMR). Once complete, Darlington’s first of four planned SMR units would provide reliable, affordable, clean power to 300,000 homes, while supporting 200 high-paying jobs – in addition to 1,600 jobs during construction. The project has the potential to position Canada as a global leader in SMR technology for use across the country and for export as early as 2030.
Contrecoeur Terminal Container Project – Contrecoeur, QC
Proponent: Montréal Port Authority
This project will expand the Port of Montréal’s container capacity by approximately 60%, to give Canada the trading infrastructure it needs to keep goods moving, meet growing demand, and diversify trade routes. It will deploy AI capabilities to strengthen supply chains, create thousands of jobs, and generate lasting economic benefits across Québec and Canada.
McIlvenna Bay Foran Copper Mine Project – East-Central, SK
Proponent: Foran Mining
This project in one of Canada’s richest mineral belts will supply copper and zinc to strengthen Canada’s position as a global supplier of critical minerals for clean energy, advanced manufacturing, and modern infrastructure. It will create hundreds of jobs, boost local economies, and will be one of the lowest-emission operations of its kind.
Red Chris Mine expansion – Northwest, BC
As part of the new B.C. Critical Minerals Conservation Area, this major expansion project will extend the lifespan of the mine by over a decade and increase Canada’s annual copper production by over 15%. It is an important step in further developing the potential of Northern B.C., while strengthening Canada’s role as a reliable supplier of copper and other resources essential for global manufacturing and clean energy technologies.
These projects are examples of the kinds of major infrastructure Canada needs to connect our economy, diversify our industries, and create thousands of high-paying careers while protecting the environment and upholding the rights of Indigenous Peoples. The Major Projects Office will continue the work to find the right way forward for each project.
The Major Projects Office will continue to review major projects and will announce more nation-building projects over the coming months.
Transformative Strategies
In addition to the five projects being announced today for referral to the Major Projects Office, the Government has identified strategic areas of focus and activity that will be transformative for Canada and Canadians. Moving forward with the speed and urgency of building Canada for the future.
First, the Government wants to make sure that projects in the national interest advance quickly. Building on this goal, the Prime Minister directed the Major Projects Office to transform regulatory processes to provide the certainty that all major projects are reviewed within two years, from start to finish.
Additionally, there are transformative projects for Canada, these cover critical mineral development, wind energy, critical infrastructure in the North, ports, and transportation infrastructure connecting Canadians and our goods with the world, as well as innovative carbon capture and storage and carbon management technologies. All meet the criteria of growth, security, diversification of markets and reconciliation.
The concepts and projects that fit within these nation-building strategies have boundless potential but are at an early stage and require further development. The Prime Minister also directed the Major Projects Office to create business development teams to work with provinces, territories, proponents, and Indigenous Peoples to further develop and make these nation-building projects a reality.
- Critical Minerals Strategy: Canada can be a powerhouse in the extraction and upgrading of critical minerals for industries that can emerge in Canada and to diversify and serve export markets. A priority for the Major Projects Office will be to get more critical minerals projects get to final investment decisions, with a focus on sustainability and regulatory certainty. This will enable critical mineral proponents working with Indigenous and local communities, investors, and provinces and territories to develop projects in regions like the Fosse du Labrador in QC and NL, the Northwest Critical Mineral and Conservation Corridor in BC, and the Ring of Fire in Ontario. The strategy will lead to the construction of ports and roads and focus on the first and last mile. Canada through its leadership at the G7 is also connecting with global partners to develop a Critical Mineral Alliance to match secure supply from projects with global partners who have industry demand. This work seizes opportunities to build new critical mineral value chains for clean technologies and defence applications for example: developing “mines to magnets” using our rare earth resources and building processing and manufacturing abilities; and refining and processing minerals needed for clean energy and electricity battery storage, as well as electric vehicles.
- Wind West Atlantic Energy: A project that would leverage over 60 GWs of wind power potential in Nova Scotia, and more across Atlantic Canada, connecting that renewable, emissions-free energy to Eastern and Atlantic Canada to meet rapidly growing demand. The Major Projects Office will advance Wind West Atlantic Energy with proponents to develop the projects and provide the regulatory certainty that attracts private investment and sets a course for long term wind resources development in the Maritime provinces. Wind West could be Canada’s first offshore wind development and will set the scale, direction and trajectory for future growth. Unlocking 5,000 MW in the first phase could produce 24 TWh of clean energy every year and drive billions in new investment and economic activity across Canada, led by the private sector. This Eastern Energy Partnership could include important projects like interties between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, transmission cables between Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick as well as Quebec’s and Newfoundland and Labrador’s further development of Churchill Falls and Gull Island.
- Pathways Plus: An Alberta-based carbon capture, utilization, and storage project with additional energy infrastructure that would support a strong conventional energy sector while driving down emissions and emissions intensity from the oil sands. Pathways creates the prospect of facilitating low-carbon oil exports from the Alberta oil sands to a variety of potential markets. The Major Projects Office will develop a strategy to build the Pathways project which would reduce upstream emissions from the conventional energy sector, while catalyzing private investment in additional energy infrastructure that would support a strong conventional energy sector while driving down emissions and emissions intensity from the oil sands. The Pathways project represents $16.5B in GDP, $12.2B in labour income, and between 18,500 and 43,000 jobs annually.
- Arctic Economic and Security Corridor: The Arctic and Security Corridor is a strategic lifeline. Designed as dual-use infrastructure, it supports both Canada’s defence and economic goals. From fortified ports and all-season roads to runways and communications systems, it is built to serve military operations and commercial development alike. This corridor strengthens Canada’s Arctic sovereignty and opens new opportunities for northern communities and Canadian industry. It is where deterrence meets development — a backbone for both security and prosperity.
- Port of Churchill Plus: Building upon the leadership of the Arctic Gateway Group, this project will upgrade the Port of Churchill and expand trade corridors with an all-weather road, an upgraded rail line, a new energy corridor, and marine ice-breaking capacity. The transformative strategy would prioritize Indigenous equity ownership, through a new Manitoba Crown Indigenous Corporation, and develop the projects needed to turn the Port of Churchill in major four season and dual-use gateway to the region. Expanded export capacity in the North through Hudson Bay would contribute to increased and diversified trade with Europe and other partners. The Major Projects Office will work with prospective proponents to bring certainty to the regulatory processes that will attract private and public sources of capital investment and more strongly link Churchill to the rest of Canada.
- Alto High-Speed Rail: Canada’s first high-speed railway, spanning approximately 1,000 km from Toronto to Québec City and reaching speeds of up to 300 km/hour to cut travel times in half and connect close to half of Canada’s population. Joining major centres through Canada’s most densely populated areas, this initiative will yield benefits for key government priorities, including:
- Housing: contributing to the housing supply along the route, with a target of 63,000 units.
- Environment: providing a sustainable means of travel, with a target of 25 million tonnes of CO2 emissions savings.
- Job creation: delivering well-paying jobs with a target of 51,000 new jobs over 10 years.
Canada is the only country in the G7 does not have high-speed rail – to address our looming transportation crisis, Canada has chosen this bold and ambitious solution. The MPO will work to accelerate engineering, regulatory, and permitting work to enable and target the start of project construction in five years.
Visit the Major Projects Office website to view these projects on an interactive map.
The Major Projects Office
The Government of Canada established the Major Projects Office to get nation-building projects built. Our country’s future competitiveness will depend on our ability to position Canada to build bigger and faster, attract investment, diversify trade, and bolster economic resilience.
The Major Projects Office is a catalyst for the private sector participation and investment Canada needs to build big and build fast. It is a single-window for proponents, Indigenous communities, and governments to help identify and fast-track nation-building projects that will grow Canada’s economy.
It offers proponents of selected projects:
- Coordination with funding partners to organize and structure financing.
- Coordinated support for their projects across all relevant federal departments and agencies.
- Guidance on assessments and regulatory requirements, and clear pathways towards federal decisions.
- Guidance on establishing partnerships with Indigenous Peoples and engaging meaningfully with Indigenous rights-holders throughout the life of a project.
- Strategic support to identify solutions to barriers for project development.
- Project monitoring and oversight.
One Canadian Economy
Investors, provinces and territories, and the business community have expressed it is too difficult and takes too long to build economically feasible projects in Canada. Provinces and territories and many Indigenous Peoples want to see critical infrastructure projects advance in support of their interests and priorities.
Canada needs to use all the tools at its disposal to get major projects built; projects that will help Canada become the strongest economy in the G7, deepen our trade relationships with reliable partners, and create good Canadian jobs.
Through the Building Canada Act, the government will expedite projects deemed in the national interest, by streamlining federal review and approval processes to increase regulatory certainty, helping attract capital, strengthening our industries, and moving towards greater sovereignty and resilience while respecting Indigenous rights and protecting the environment.
These projects will enhance Canada’s prosperity, national security, economic security, national defence and national autonomy through the increased production of energy and goods, and the improved movement of goods, services and workers throughout Canada. They will strengthen access to Canadian resources, goods and services for a diverse group of reliable trade partners.
This is an important step towards improving Canadian productivity, growth, and economic competitiveness as we work to build one Canadian economy instead of 13. The One Canadian Economy legislation provides a framework to remove federal internal trade barriers and to advance major projects of national interest, so Canada can be stronger at home and abroad.
Canada appoints 11 members to Major Project Office’s Indigenous Advisory Council
First Nations, Inuit and Métis members appointed to 2-year terms
The Major Projects Office, which will be headquartered in Calgary, is aimed at getting “nation-building” projects built faster by streamlining and accelerating regulatory approval processes and helping the projects get financing.
The Indigenous Advisory Council includes 11 representatives from First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities across the country who will hold an initial two-year term.
“The expertise and advice of the Indigenous Advisory Council will help ensure these projects empower First Nations, Inuit, and Métis, and create greater opportunity, security, and prosperity for their communities,” Carney said in a news release.
The members appointed to the Indigenous Advisory Council are:
- Kluane Adamek, Kluane First Nation in Yukon
- Chief Darcy Bear, Whitecap Dakota First Nation in Saskatchewan
- Vanessa Doig, Makivvik, Nunavik (Northern Quebec)
- JP Gladu, Bingwi Neyaashi Anishinaabek in Ontario
- Victoria LaBillois, Listuguj Mi’gmaq Nation in Quebec
- Treaty 8 Grand Chief Trevor Mercredi, Beaver First Nation in Alberta
- Chief Terry Paul, Membertou First Nation in Nova Scotia
- Lorne Pelletier, Manitoba Métis Federation
- Christy Sinclair, Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., Nunavut
- Crystal Smith, Haisla Nation, British Columbia
- Matt Vermette, Métis Nation-Saskatchewan
Many Indigenous leaders have voiced opposition to Carney’s plan to fast track major nation-building projects through the Building Canada Act, also known as Bill C-5, with concerns that it did not provide enough protection for Indigenous peoples’ right to be consulted on projects impacting their land and communities.
The legislation, which was passed through Parliament in June, is one part of Canada’s plan to respond to U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff war.
Carney hosted a series of summits with First Nations, Metis and Inuit leaders over the summer.
Some First Nations leaders expressed frustration over the summit held in July, stating they had more concerns coming out of the meeting.
Government of Alberta Consultation on Solar Panel Reuse and Recycling
The Government of Alberta (Environment and Protected Areas) is seeking inputfrom stakeholders and Indigenous communities and organizations to support the identification of policy options and programs to address end-of-life management of solar panels.
These options would be complementary to the Alberta Recycling Management Authority’s (ARMA) work on designing and implementing a stewardship program for solar panels.
This engagement is an opportunity to provide Alberta-specific input on:
- The opportunities and challenges associated with recycling and reusing solar panels
- Identifying policy gaps that lead to landfill disposal instead of reuse and recycling
- Policy tools and programs that could address these gaps
The Government’s feedback opportunity will be open from August 8 until September 21, 2025.
You can access more information on the consultation and the survey here: Government of Alberta – Solar Panel Reuse and Recycling Engagement
Actual Media Acquires HazMat Management Magazine, Strengthening its Industry-Leading Portfolio
Toronto, ON – Actual Media Inc. is proud to announce the acquisition of HazMat Management Magazine, the leading Canadian publication dedicated to hazardous materials, toxic waste, and environmental management. This acquisition marks an exciting new chapter for HazMat, which joins Actual Media’s lineup of trusted industry publications serving the infrastructure, environment, water, and waste sectors.
HazMat readers and advertisers can look forward to immediate benefits, including a refreshed brand and website to better reflect the industry it serves, an improved bi-weekly newsletter, and a growing presence on social media. In addition, the publication will enjoy expanded editorial coverage and increased audience reach, further enhancing its role as an essential source of information and insight for professionals working in hazmat management, contaminated site remediation, spill response, and dangerous-goods storage and transport.
HazMat Management Magazine was acquired from longtime owner John Nicholson, who will continue to bring his depth of experience and industry knowledge to the publication in his role as editor.
“HazMat is a natural fit within the Actual Media family of brands,” said Todd Latham, President of Actual Media. “This was my first magazine launch back in 1989 under its original name, Hazardous Materials Management Magazine, so it’s very special to bring it back home. The hazardous materials management and spill response industry plays a critical role in protecting people, communities, and the environment, and we’re committed to ensuring HazMat continues to serve as the trusted voice for this sector.”
The acquisition underscores the importance of hazardous materials management as Canada faces increasing industrial complexity, stricter environmental regulations, and growing public awareness of sustainability and safety. From emergency response and spill prevention to remediation and compliance, the industry is more vital than ever—and HazMat will continue to provide the authoritative coverage its readers rely on.
With this acquisition, Actual Media reaffirms its dedication to producing best-in-class editorial content, events, and digital platforms that connect professionals, foster collaboration, and strengthen Canada’s environment and infrastructure industries.
About HazMat Magazine
HazMat Magazine is Canada’s leading source of news and insight for hazardous materials, waste, and environmental management professionals. Founded in 1989, the magazine delivers coverage of spill response, contaminated sites, dangerous goods transportation, and emerging industry technologies for the safe use, storage and destruction of toxic substances. hazmatmag.com LinkedIn
About Actual Media Inc.
Actual Media is a Toronto-based creative agency, publisher, and event specialist serving the infrastructure, water, waste, and environment sectors. Through its portfolio of publications—including ReNew Canada, Water Canada, Environment Journal, Waste & Recycling and HazMat —along with its events and strategic partnerships, Actual Media connects decision-makers and advances critical conversations shaping Canada’s future. actualmedia.ca LinkedIn
Storing carbon underground? There’s less room than we thought, new study suggests
But a study published this week in the journalNature is raising a new issue with what is already a mostly unproven technology.
The study, led by researchers in the U.K., Austria and the U.S., analyzed a wider range of risk factors than conventional assessments of carbon storage potential.
They found that globally, about 1,460 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide can be safely stored underground. That’s significantly less than current projections of around 12,000 billion tonnes. That means using all the safe areas for carbon storage would cut global warming by only 0.7 C, much less than previous estimates of around 6 C.
“If we consider carbon storage to be a scarce resource, which based on our assessment it should be, then countries should be very explicit about how they plan to use it in order to meet their climate pledges” said Matthew Gidden, associate research professor at the University of Maryland’s Center for Global Sustainability and lead author of the study.
Interest in removing and storing carbon has been growing as climate modeling increasingly suggests lowering our current emissions alone will not be enough to keep warming to safe levels. In Canada, the federal government is offering a tax credit to support carbon capture and storage projects, projected to cost taxpayers up to $5.7 billion until 2028. The U.S. and Europe also have massive programs to support the technology.
“As [the study authors] point out, if we act to reduce emissions now, we probably have enough storage, but that ceases to be true really, really soon,” said Rob Anex, professor at the University of Wisconsin – Madison who researches carbon capture technology.
“Global emission rates are so high that the window of time in which geologic storage is practical is shutting really, really fast.”
What are the factors holding back carbon storage?
Gidden said most engineering studies looking into carbon storage focus on technical potential — the engineering or technically-feasible amount of carbon can be collected and stored underground in sedimentary rock. His team took a different approach: taking into account numerous risks like the closeness to towns and cities, sensitive ecosystems and protected wildlife areas, and seismically active zones.
They also assumed carbon storage would not happen beyond a depth of 2.5 kilometres, based on their assessment of current technology, and excluded some nascent storage technologies. Some researchers say that might be too limiting, considering how quickly carbon storage technology is improving.
“They have very valid reasons for picking these depth ranges based on previous literature and studies that they cite. But I don’t think this is necessarily a hard cut-off,” said Anna Littlefield, a researcher at the Payne Institute for Public Policy at the Colorado School of Mines, focused on the energy transition.
Kate Moran, president and CEO of Ocean Networks Canada, an oceans research observatory, is working on a project exploring carbon storage in basalt rock below the seabed. She says CO2 reacts with basalt to turn from gas into a solid, making it a more appealing way to store carbon compared to a gaseous form that may leak.
“The capacity is huge,” Moran said. “The basin we’re studying, Cascadia basin, we think there’s at least just at least 200 gigatons available in this one location off the West Coast of Canada.”
Scientists in B.C. have developed a carbon storage program that would take carbon dioxide from the air and push it deep into the ocean where it would be injected into basalt, a type of volcanic rock, and eventually turn into rock itself.
Anex, meanwhile, says the study’s carbon storage projections may be too rosy considering the financial challenges of building up storage capacity quickly enough to address rising global temperatures.
“To scale up fast is just almost unimaginably expensive. And that competition for capital competes with lots of other social needs,” he said, adding that the study assumed that a lot of the carbon would be transported great distances, over land in pipelines or shipped, to where it would be stored, raising costs and the potential for public opposition.
Still, the space available for storage may not be the biggest hurdle.
“There’s a lot of geological space there. And this study sort of says, well, there’s not as much asyou thought, comma, but there’s still a lot, period,” said Dave Sawyer, principal economist at the think-tank Canadian Climate Institute.
The real challenge, experts say, is demonstrating that carbon capture and storage can actually work at a large enough scale to offset emissions. Pilot projects in Canada and abroad have often seen mixed results.
Littlefield said that if the main problem with carbon storage was just that we were running out of storage capacity, that would be a good place to be for the industry.
“Because right now we’re just still trying to get successful projects up and running,” she said.
Gidden said one of the messages of the study is about the so-called overshoot theory — where climate scientists believe the world will overshoot 1.5 C of warming but later, through carbon storage technology, be able to bring temperatures back down (the world is currently at around 1.3 C of warming above pre-industrial levels).
“[If] we know that there’s a limit in terms of how much carbon we can store, then there’s a possibility we won’t be able to return to 1.5 degrees,” he said.
These residents didn’t know their water was contaminated until a professor showed up
(Source: CBC News) In a quiet residential neighbourhood on the outskirts of St. John’s, chemistry professor Karl Jobst parked his pickup and crossed the street to a lush wetland.
“This is essentially industrial wastewater that’s being discharged from the airport,” he said.
A nearby sign warns no dumping is allowed in the marsh, which is part of a conservation area called The Gully. The irony isn’t lost on him.
“It frustrates me as a scientist. It frustrates me as someone who lives in the area.”
Research by Jobst’s lab at Memorial University shows toxic forever chemicals are contaminating The Gully and the drinking water in several homes nearby in Torbay, N.L.
The neighbourhood is 3½ kilometres downstream from a decommissioned firefighting training area at St. John’s International Airport that is listed in the Federal Contaminated Sites Inventory as contaminated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
Residents with unsafe drinking water in Torbay, N.L., want answers from Transport Canada.
Transport Canada is responsible for the site, one of 80 federal sites contaminated with PFAS.
PFAS, a class of synthetic chemicals, can take hundreds of years to break down. Some have been linked to cancers, liver damage and issues with reproduction and fetal development. In March, the federal government committed to adding them to the toxic substances list.
Jobst, who lives in Torbay, said he felt compelled to take action after he read in a 2024 CBC News article that Transport Canada had tested wells and found contamination in a different neighbourhood closer to the airport called Pine Ridge. A class-action lawsuit has been filed on behalf of affected residents.
“I thought it would be good to have an independent look at this,” Jobst said.
Jobst and PhD student Emmanuel Tolefe began testing water in a pond and creek downstream from the contaminated site.
Jobst said they found high levels of PFAS in South Pond. They followed the trail of chemicals from there, finding levels 15 times higher than Canadian drinking water limits in a creek that runs from South Pond through The Gully.
Jobst worried the chemicals could be leaching into groundwater in the neighbourhood around the wetland, so he started going door to door, offering to test water for free.
“These are not conversations that are easy because it’s obviously very upsetting to people. But I think it’s the right thing to do.”
So far, Jobst’s research group has tested 15 homes within 500 metres of The Gully and found slightly more than half of them have contaminated water. Some showed no trace of contamination or had levels within drinking water guidelines.
Four homes had levels above Canadian drinking water guidelines, which recommend no more than 30 ng/l PFAS total. Four were within Canadian standards but above American limits, which call for no more than four ng/l of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) each.
“I wish I hadn’t found that. We were shocked,” said Jobst, who is concerned the extent of the contamination is not being fully mapped.
If the contamination is coming from the airport, it wouldn’t be the first time forever chemicals have spread that far. In one case, PFAS contaminated wells in La Baie, Que., that were 10 kilometres from the source — a military base.
To verify Jobst’s analysis, CBC News took samples from the creek in The Gully and two of the homes where he found levels above Canadian limits. The water was tested by AGAT, an accredited lab in Mississauga, Ont.
Two independent experts who reviewed CBC’s sampling results said they were in line with Jobst’s findings.
“I would certainly be very disturbed, to say the least, if I was drinking that tap water,” said Miriam Diamond, a professor at the school of the environment at the University of Toronto.
“None of these are ‘drinkable,'” said Sebastien Sauvé, an environmental chemistry professor at the University of Montreal.
Jobst’s analysis of their water, which CBC did not independently verify, found levels within Canadian guidelines but above U.S. limits.
“It’s not really what I want to be putting in a baby’s body,” said Hussey-Smart, who drank the water while pregnant and breastfeeding.
If Jobst hadn’t knocked on their door, Hussey-Smart said they would have never known their water was contaminated. Worried about the health risks, the family bought a filter for their kitchen tap.
“We just want to make people aware because we weren’t aware, and that’s the least that we can do.”
After Jobst discovered high levels of contamination in drinking water, he reached out to the province and the town.
CBC News has seen emails from Jobst and Torbay’s chief administrative officer, Sandy Hounsell, which show Transport Canada was informed of one case of contamination in a home in the area on May 15, 2025, and of another on July 29.
“We would suggest that testing be expanded into this area and bottled water be provided accordingly,” Hounsell wrote in his July email.
Transport Canada has so far not offered testing, health advice or bottled water to any of the residents near The Gully who spoke with CBC News.
The department continues to provide bottled water to people in Pine Ridge who have levels above Canadian limits.
Resident Lisa Snook, who has levels above Canadian guidelines, called Transport Canada on July 22 and received a form response by email.
It stated an environmental consultant has been hired to analyze the situation and “the study will assist in determining TC’s next steps, including the need, if required, to expand the current sample area.
The email also said residents will be contacted if sampling at their residence is necessary.
Snook followed up by email on July 25 and asked for advice on choosing a water filter. She has not received a reply.
In 2012, a report by environmental consultation firm AMEC for Transport Canada identified contamination in South Pond Brook, including where the brook feeds into South Pond.
It states “two of the six sample stations contained concentrations of PFOS in surface water that exceeded the 2011 Health Canada Drinking Water Guidance Values.”
Ken Baird told CBC News he and his wife applied for a well permit as they built their house in 2015, there were no red flags.
Years later, he heard of contamination in Pine Ridge, but thought it was a localized issue and never imagined it could reach them two kilometres away. Still, for peace of mind, he sent samples to an accredited lab and found out their levels are more than double the Canadian limit.
Baird said it felt “akin to someone breaking into your house.”
Jobst wondered why Transport Canada didn’t connect the same dots he did.
“To me it seems like an obvious thing to do to follow this river, to follow this contamination here.”
Jobst said he can’t think of another source in the area that would explain the high levels and types of PFAS he’s detected.
“I’m very confident that the contamination we’re observing comes from St. John’s International Airport and the firefighting activities that occurred previous to 2005.”
The two independent experts who CBC spoke with agreed the contamination could be coming from the airport.
Diamond said while it’s difficult to pinpoint a source with complete certainty, it is “possible, if not likely, that the PFAS measured in The Gully and nearby drinking water originated from the airport.”
The federal government declined CBC’s requests for an interview twice.
In an email to CBC News, Transport Canada said it “takes its responsibilities with respect to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) seriously” and that it would not comment further due to the proposed class-action lawsuit.
Torbay Mayor Craig Scott told CBC News he continues to advocate for the federal government to intervene.
“It’s the stuff that keeps you awake at night, thinking how are you going to help these residents.”
Scott said one long-term solution they’re considering is finding a way to connect the municipal water supply to homes near The Gully.
In the meantime, several homeowners have installed filters.
At two homes, one using a portable filter that costs about $500 and another using a $3,500 whole house water filter, Jobst said levels dropped from above Canadian guidelines to below detectable limits.
“There are solutions. There’s ways to filter this from people’s water. But they can’t do that if they don’t know they have it.”
Imperial Metals receives permit for Mount Polley mine expansion
“Receiving this permit…[means] we will be able to continue to provide good jobs and economic opportunities for the region,” said Brian Kynoch, president of Imperial Metals in an Aug. 29 release. “We will also continue to develop our exploration and mine planning to look for opportunities for further extension of the mine life.”
The expansion will extend Mount Polley’s life to 2033. Modifications to the mine plan involve deepening the existing Springer pit, enlarging rock-disposal areas and isolating potentially acid-generating materials in the old Cariboo pit upon closure. The company would also continue to treat water and release it into Quesnel Lake in accordance with regulatory permits.
The expansion approval followed a joint review of technical reports, regulatory input and First Nations consultations to ensure compliance with B.C.’s environmental and safety standards, said Imperial Metals. However, further amendments under the Mines Act and the Environmental Management Act – which are also necessary for the planned expansion to advance – are still pending.
B.C.’s environment minister Tamara Davidson and mining minister Jagrup Brar concluded that the expansion is unlikely to cause significant effects since the work will remain within the mine’s existing footprint. They also noted that any impacts can be managed through mitigation measures already required by permitting.
Mount Polley is the site of one of Canada’s most severe mining-related environmental disasters in 2014, when a tailings dam collapse released roughly 25 million cubic metres of tailings and wastewater into nearby waterways
In July 2015, the B.C. government granted Imperial Metals a conditional permit to resume limited operations at Mount Polley. A year later, the mine was authorized to return to full production. Mine operations were later paused in 2019 due to declining copper prices and resumed at full capacity in 2022.
According to Imperial Metals’ production update for the second quarter of this year, the mine produced 9.496 million pounds of copper and 11,061 ounces of gold.
Pushback on tailings expansion
The provincial permit approval comes as Imperial Metals faces ongoing opposition from the Xatśūll First Nation over a planned raise of the Mount Polley mine’s tailings storage facility. The nation sought to overturn the provincial approvals issued on March 27 allowing the facility to be raised to 974 metres, up from its previous height of 970 metres. The Xatśūll First Nation argues that this should have triggered a new environmental assessment and that First Nation’s consultation was inadequate.
On Aug. 6, the B.C. Supreme Court dismissed the Xatśūll First Nation’s challenge, finding the consultation process sufficient. This week, the Xatśūll First Nation filed an appeal to the B.C. Court of Appeal, seeking to overturn the ruling.
Sites contaminated by toxic ‘forever chemicals’ are much more widespread than previously thought, study finds
(Source: Phys.org) Toxic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS or “forever chemicals,” are in everything from Band-Aids and clothing to water and floss. However, new research reveals they are potentially even more widespread in the U.S. than previously thought.
The study, published in Environmental Science & Technology, presents what the researchers say is a much more complete—and stark—picture of PFAS contamination while also presenting legislators, communities and environmental activists with a roadmap of where to focus their efforts.
The PFAS Project Lab has been mapping sites contaminated by forever chemicals, an entire class of toxic substances, for about a decade. It started as a way to address what remains the biggest issue around PFAS remediation.
“We don’t know where PFAS is or where it’s coming from,” says Kimberly Garrett, a postdoctoral research fellow with the PFAS Project Lab and lead on this research.
As the lab started to map known PFAS contamination sites, they realized that the data was limited. Since PFAS testing is far from widespread—it’s largely up to states or environmental organizations to conduct testing—they were entirely reliant on an incomplete picture of contamination.
Their map of known contamination sites makes it appear like California, New England and Michigan are the only areas with heavy PFAS levels, but those are the areas where testing was done.
To fill in the blanks, they developed a model that helped them map presumptive contamination sites. It relies on information about certain kinds of industrial sites that are known for emitting PFAS. The end result is a more complete sense of just how widespread PFAS contamination in the U.S. likely is.
According to Garrett, they found that 94% of known PFAS contamination sites had average PFAS groundwater concentrations that were above accepted regulatory levels.
“We did find that, overall, all of the sites that we knew about had elevated PFAS concentrations that were above health-based guidelines,” Garrett says. “We found that some were associated with really high values, but they were all associated with unacceptable values.”
The lab’s recently published paper represents the most up-to-date and complete picture of nationwide PFAS contamination. The most recent updates have given the lab further insight into what kinds of sources, sites and industries are most associated with emitting PFAS.
Contamination sites were divided into several categories: airports, industrial facilities, military facilities, municipal fire activities and waste treatment plants. What the researchers found was that three of these categories—airports, military facilities and municipal fire activities—”consistently had significantly higher PFAS detections than the other site types,” Garrett says.
What they all had in common was a substance called aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF), which is used most consistently in fighting fires. AFFF was consistently connected to the highest average PFAS concentrations, something that’s been known among those studying PFAS for years.
What was more surprising was that Garrett and the other researchers on the project were able to partially identify specific industries that are most commonly associated with PFAS contamination: metal and electronics manufacturing.
“Metal manufacturers and electronic manufacturers could use a little more scrutiny in that area, especially as we think about making investments in semiconductor manufacturing and things like that,” Garrett says.
Finding the industrial sources of PFAS contamination is vital, Garrett explains. There have been some federal efforts made to curb PFAS pollution, but attention has largely been paid to water treatment plants, not the industrial sources where forever chemicals are flowing from.
“Turning off the tap of PFAS starts at the source,” Garrett says. “We can’t discount the industrial contributions to PFAS contamination.”
By mapping out not only contamination sites but the broader “waste stream” that these chemicals flow through, Phil Brown, co-director of the PFAS Project Lab, hopes this data can help inform legislators and communities about where to target testing and remediation efforts.
“Once you identify the waste stream, you can also say, “Near this wastewater treatment plant are potential manufacturers and users,'” Brown says. “We can then tell them that they have to cut down their emissions before it gets into our [treatment] plants.”
“We know that resources for testing bodies and regulatory bodies and municipal utilities are very limited, so we hope that our tools can serve as a guide for if a municipality or a state has so much money for testing and they say, what would be the most impactful way to use this?” Garrett adds. “We think that this paper can contribute to those kinds of decisions.”
New ESAA Members
ESAA welcomes the following new members. If you are not a member of ESAA you can join now via: https://esaa.org/join-esaa/
Full Member:
Renaissance Environmental Inc.
Unit 111 18677 52 Ave
Surrey, BC V3S 8E5
Phone: (604) 866-7093
Glen Fyfe, President
glen@lionsgatewt.com
At Renaissance Environmental, we are committed to pioneering sustainable and innovative solutions for water quality management and environmental impact reduction. Leveraging advanced IoT technology, our Effusive™ System enables real-time, cloud-based monitoring of water resources, ensuring compliance, efficiency, and sustainability for industries like construction, manufacturing, agriculture, and public utilities. With a strong focus on water-quality monitoring, and environmental conservation, we partner with businesses to improve operational efficiency, reduce costs, and meet regulatory standards. Our team of experts integrates cutting-edge systems and eco-friendly practices to foster a cleaner, more sustainable future. Join us on our mission to transform environmental management through smart, data-driven solutions that protect the planet’s most precious resource—water.
Upcoming Industry Events
Webinar: Road Impact Wetland Health Assessments in Northern British Columbia
October 21st, 2025
Katerina Sofos, M.Sc, Wetlands Practitioner – BC Wildlife Federation
The Road Impact Wetland Health Assessment Tool (RIWHA) was developed to raise awareness about the impacts of road construction and hydro development on wetlands. In northern B.C., wetlands often receive little attention regarding the effects of roads. The tool was first applied in 2023, focusing on the Williston Reservoir area, initiated by the Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program (FWCP). One of our key goals is to support restoration-focused wetland management. In 2023, we successfully identified and began restoration work at a site near McLeod Lake, just south of Mackenzie. This year, our focus has been on refining RIWHA by expanding its application beyond the Williston Reservoir and collaborating with additional northern B.C. communities. Through this effort, we’re learning more about how roads impact wetlands and how to advocate for better land use decisions. Common wetland impacts we’ve encountered this year include ditching, poorly installed culverts, lack of visual buffers, streambank erosion, debris from cutblocks, and disturbances from old seismic lines. Through partnerships and shared learning, we’re deepening our understanding of these issues and look forward to spreading this knowledge across the province.
Website Link To Register: https://www.cclmportal.ca/
Manual to Digital: How Environmental Consultants Can Work Faster & Smarter
Webinar: Learn how environmental consultants can digitize GIS and project management
September 16th, 2025 – 9 AM PST
Hosted by Matidor
In today’s competitive environmental consulting landscape, your tech stack can make or break your efficiency, profitability, and ability to scale. But with so many options, custom-built software, off-the-shelf tools, or a mix, how do you choose the right approach?
This session is designed for owners, principals, and managers who want to:
Understand best practices for building a modern tech stack in environmental consulting.
Compare the pros and cons of building software in-house vs. buying solutions.
See how digitizing manual processes frees up time, reduces errors, and improves collaboration.
Learn a framework for selecting tools that fit your workflows and integrate seamlessly.
Key Takeaways:
How to evaluate your current systems and spot gaps.
Decision criteria for build vs. buy that align with your growth strategy.
Real-world examples of digital transformation in environmental consulting.
The essential tools every consultant should consider for GIS, project management, and budgeting.
RSVP here: https://us02web.zoom.us/
Questions? Contact us: info@matidor.com
Contact: Andrew Simms
Email: info@matidor.com
Phone: (833) 628-4367
Website Link To Register: https://us02web.zoom.us/
GRF Fall Field Tour – SW Alberta
October 1st, 2025
A tour of montane and foothills grassland restoration projects, including Leitch Collieries, grassland recovery post fire and post seed harvesting, seeding techniques, and a tour of native plant nursery, Grumpy’s Greenhouse! A great opportunity to network and learn from what others are doing. Bus transportation provided. Register on the Grassland Restoration Forum website. This event sold out in 2024, sign up early to secure your spot.
Website Link To Register: https://
If you need to approve the event you can do so by clicking on the link below.
GRF Fall Field Tour – SW Alberta
ESAA Job Board
Check out the new improved ESAA Job Board. Members can post ads for free.
Current Listings:
- Senior Technical Specialist – Summit
- Reclamation Specialist – AECOM
- Intermediate/Senior Environmental Specialist – Summit
- Intermediate Environmental Specialist – Summit
- Intermediate/Senior Environmental Specialist – Summit
- Junior Data Entry Consultant – North Shore Environmental Consultants
- Health and Safety Supervisor – Remedx Remediation Services
- Project Coordinator – Pinchin
- Intermediate Level, Remediation and Risk Management Services – Remedx Remediation Services