Top 12 Megaprojects in Canada; 2025 Review

Private and public sector megaprojects in Canada, as well as near-record immigration, will assist in keeping construction activity in Canada going despite an expected worldwide slump. Megaprojects in Canada span from coast to coast and cover a wide range of industries, including energy, petrochemicals, commercial development, mining, transportation, and social infrastructure.

Canada has many billion-dollar projects, particularly in transportation and infrastructure. According to the research, “Infrastructure, renewable energy, and industrial building are anticipated to be the top performing sectors, with major projects in B.C., Quebec, and Ontario offsetting reductions in the commercial and leisure sectors. Investment in renewable energy is a bright area in Alberta, which, like most jurisdictions, is increasing infrastructure investment to stimulate economic growth.”

Climate change measures are driving investment in renewable energy and energy-efficient infrastructure across the country, while transit-oriented development (TOD) is becoming a popular solution in cities across North America, particularly in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver in Canada.

What are Construction Megaprojects?

The United States Department of Labor defines a megaproject as a large-scale construction project that is federally sponsored and costs $35 million or more and lasts more than a year.

Some examples of construction megaprojects are:

• Transportation projects include high-speed railways, huge airports, long suspension bridges, and undersea tunnels.
• Energy projects include large dams, nuclear power plants, and offshore wind farms.
• Urban development projects include entire new city districts, enormous buildings, and extensive flood protection systems.

Megaprojects in Canada are massive projects that test the limits of engineering, design, and resource management. Because of their complexity, these projects can have a major economic, infrastructure, and environmental impact.

Suggested article to read: Important Megaproject Facts you Should Know; 2025 Guide

Top 10 Megaprojects in Canada

Here is the list of top 10 megaprojects in Canada you must know about:

1. GNL Quebec’s Énergie Saguenay LNG Complex – La Baie, QC

GNL Quebec’s Énergie Saguenay project has been under development since 2014. This megaproject in Canadact entails the development of a natural gas liquefaction complex at Port Saguenay. If built, the project aims to export 11 million tons of liquefied natural gas (LNG) per year. The $9 billion CAD project would comprise liquefaction machinery, storage facilities, and marine transportation infrastructure.

The Énergie Saguenay LNG Complex will be the world’s first LNG complex of this size to be powered by hydroelectricity from a pre-existing local network, and it is scheduled to open in 2026. A new 750-kilometer gas pipeline would connect western Canada’s natural gas supply to the facility, and from there to the major transportation system in northeastern Ontario.

2. The Réseau Express Métropolitain (REM) – Montréal, QC

The Réseau express métropolitain (REM), sometimes known as the Metropolitan Express Network in English, is a $6.5 billion CAD public transit project currently being built in the Montréal area. When completed, the light rail network would span 26 states and 67 kilometers of track, operating 20 hours a day, seven days a week throughout Greater Montréal. This megaproject in Canada will also provide a link to Montréal-Trudeau International Airport.

This megaproject in Canada will roughly double the current metro network (71 kilometers of track), with the first trains set to run in 2022. The REM is being carried out by NouvLR and is slated to be completed in 2023.

More TOD benefits for the public sector include reduced traffic congestion, pollution, and fuel consumption, reduced sprawl, which saves open space, lower road and bridge construction costs, and greater property and sales tax revenue. The private sector also benefits by increasing retail sales, boosting labor pool access, and lowering parking expenses.

3. Metrolinx’s Eglinton Crosstown LRT – Toronto, ON

Metrolinx has several megaprojects in varying levels of completion in Ontario. The Eglinton Line (also known as Crosstown) is one of the most expensive megaproject in Canada underway, costing $4.9 billion CAD.

The Eglinton Crosstown Light Rail Transit (LRT) project is building a midtown link between East and West Toronto. It will include 25 stops along the route from Kennedy (east) to Mount Dennis (west), reducing travel time by up to 60%. This megaproject in Canada is now under construction and will provide thousands of design and construction jobs. Metrolinx owns Line 5 Eglinton, which is operated by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). When completed, it will be the fifth route in the Toronto subway system.

Transit-oriented development often helps the public sector directly by increasing transit utilization, revitalizing areas, and boosting economic growth. Meanwhile, private sector developers frequently report rising land values, greater rents and real estate performance, and more affordable housing options.

4. Nauticol Energy’s Methanol Facility – Grande Prairie, AB

In Grande Prairie, Alberta, Nauticol Energy is establishing a world-scale methanol production and distribution facility to meet rising worldwide demand for low-carbon methanol. According to Nauticol, Blue Methanol in energy applications is an important component of global economic, societal, and government goals to minimize CO2 emissions.

Blue Methanol is generated utilizing carbon capture and storage (CCS), which entails absorbing and compressing waste CO2 at the plant site before injecting it deep into confined geological formations, where it is permanently and safely stored. The $3.2 billion CAD methanol facility project will help produce roughly 5,000 construction employment and 200 operating jobs over the plant’s lifetime. By 2040, this megaproject in Canada’s proposed location (Montney) is expected to supply more than half of Canada’s natural gas.

5. GO Expansion – On Corridor

The $15.705 billion GO Expansion – On Corridor project in Ontario’s Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area is expected to begin construction before the end of the year. The estimated completion date is 2025.

This megaproject in Canada is the province’s largest infrastructure development to date, involving the rehabilitation and renewal of both the railway transit corridor and civil infrastructure. Some grade separations, track, and tunnel work are under underway, with 10 stations under construction and another 29 scheduled for early upgrades. New maintenance, train storage, and layover facilities will also be built.

6. Bruce Power Refurbishment

Preparatory work for a $13-billion refurbishment project is under way at Bruce Power in Tiverton, Ont. Two reactor units are being refurbished under this megaproject in Canada, which will include the replacement of key reactor components, such as steam generators, calandria and feeder tubes. Work on the first unit will begin in 2023 and the second unit in 2025.

Systems in the company’s eight reactor units are being replaced. The work will add 30 to 35 years of operational life to each reactor and create and sustain 22,000 direct and indirect jobs annually.

7. Muskrat Falls Project

Construction on the $12.7 billion, 824-megawatt hydroelectric generating project at Muskrat Falls on the lower Churchill River west of Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Labrador, is expected to be completed this fall.

More than 1,600 kilometers of transmission lines and related electrical infrastructure are also being installed. This megaproject in Canada, which includes a spillway, three dams, and a powerhouse, will be the region’s second-largest hydroelectric facility when completed.

8. Gordie Howe International Bridge

The $5.7 billion Gordie Howe International Bridge spanning the Detroit River in Windsor, Ontario, has completed its design, earthwork, and utility work. Construction on three road bridges has also begun in Michigan. Work on this megaproject in Canada began in 2019, and the coming years are expected to be the busiest.

The six-lane, 2.5-kilometer bridge will have a clear span of 853 metres—the greatest main span of any cable-stayed bridge in North America—and no seaside piers. It will be among the top five longest bridges in North America.

9. Hurontario LRT

Mobilinx is building the $5.632-billion Hurontario Light Rail Transit (LRT), which will provide a new, environmentally friendly means of transportation for the rapidly expanding region between Brampton and Port Credit in Ontario.

This megaproject in Canada will have its own dedicated lane, ensuring a smooth, dependable, and convenient ride down the region’s main street. The system will include 19 stops, go through two metropolitan growth regions, and connect to major transit networks. There will be a repair and storage area for light rail vehicles.

10. Vancouver International Airport Expansion – Vancouver, BC

Vancouver International Airport (YVR), located outside Vancouver in Richmond, British Columbia, is expanding and upgrading in accordance with the YVR 2037 Master Plan. The Transport Canada-owned airport is Canada’s second busiest, and upgrades are planned in stages until 2037 to assist it satisfy passenger demand and become a top-tier connecting hub.

By 2037, this megaproject in Canada’s passenger volume is predicted to exceed 35 million. Passengers commuting between the United States and Canada are expected to climb dramatically, reaching 8.4 million by 2037. To accommodate the increased number of passengers and freight movements through the airport, the Vancouver International Airport Authority plans to invest $8.8 billion CAD on 75 major improvements.

FAQs 

What are some examples of transportation megaprojects in Canada?

• Answer: Transportation megaprojects in Canada include high-speed railways, huge airports, long suspension bridges, and undersea tunnels. Some significant projects include the Réseau Express Métropolitain (REM) in Montréal, Metrolinx’s Eglinton Crosstown LRT in Toronto, and the Gordie Howe International Bridge in Windsor.

How is investment in renewable energy shaping megaprojects in Canada?

• Answer: Climate change policies are pushing investment in renewable energy and energy-efficient infrastructure throughout the country. Alberta, in particular, is increasing infrastructure investment to boost economic growth, with renewable energy emerging as a promising sector.

What is the estimated budget for the GO Expansion – On Corridor project?

• Answer: The $15.705 billion GO Expansion – On Corridor project in Ontario’s Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area is planned to be the province’s greatest infrastructure development, with work set to finish in 2025.

Which megaproject in Canada will be the first LNG complex powered by hydroelectricity?

• Answer: The Énergie Saguenay LNG facility near La Baie, Quebec, will be the world’s first large-scale LNG facility to be powered by hydroelectricity from an existing local network. This $9 billion CAD project seeks to export 11 million tons of liquefied natural gas annually.

How is transit-oriented development (TOD) influencing megaprojects in Canada?

• Answer: TOD is becoming increasingly popular in North American cities, including Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. TOD benefits include reduced automobile congestion, pollution, and fuel consumption, as well as increased transit utilization and economic growth.

Conclusion

The entire concept of “megaprojects” was put into question when the enormous list of megaprojects envisaged in the 1970s was wiped out by the recession and reduction in energy prices in the 1980s. Megaprojects can only thrive in an environment of certainty. Ten-year, 20-year, or even 50-year commitments involving billions of dollars and thousands of man-years are only conceivable with consistent funding, significant product demand, a supportive political environment, and fail-safe technology. Without this faith, megaprojects may easily become white elephants.

Resources:

foundationsoft | procore | contruent | storeys | thecanadianencyclopedia | infra | renewcanada

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