Think-Tank Report Says Regulatory Overhaul and Skilled-Labour Boost Needed for Canada’s Megaprojects
Canada’s CD Howe Institute warns that without clearer rules and more trade-skilled workers, the government’s push for trillion-dollar megaprojects may fall short.
A new CD Howe Institute report, issued ahead of the Canada Investment Summit in Toronto, cautions that the government’s ambition to attract $1 trillion in capital for megaprojects will not succeed without major regulatory reforms. The authors call for a more predictable, less political approval process, including granting expert regulators final say, streamlining reviews and setting statutory deadlines. They note that the federal Major Projects Office currently oversees 27 projects worth $192 billion and 330,000 jobs but remains vulnerable to political discretion.
A companion analysis warns that Canada faces a severe skilled-labour gap, projecting a need for 350,000 permanent construction workers and 6.3-9.5 million job-years to hit 2050 net-zero targets. The reports point to the Quebec-Newfoundland wind and hydro deal, which could generate 23,000 jobs and $31 billion in GDP, as a model for a broader green-construction boom. Officials must therefore align infrastructure investment with robust training, apprenticeship and retention programs amid an ongoing US-Canada trade dispute.
