In the misty gray of an Ottawa November morning, the most anticipated infrastructure blueprint in recent memory is set to materialize. Finance Minister Mark Carney will reveal the government’s next major projects list this Thursday, ending months of speculation about which communities will benefit from the Liberal government’s latest infrastructure push.
“This isn’t just about cement and steel,” a senior government official told me during a background briefing yesterday. “It’s about which vision of Canada gets funded and which doesn’t.”
The announcement comes at a critical juncture for the Carney-Freeland economic strategy. With interest rates finally stabilizing after the tumultuous post-pandemic period, the government appears eager to cement its legacy with projects that could reshape Canadian communities for decades.
Sources familiar with the planning process suggest the list will include approximately 75 projects across all provinces and territories, with a particular emphasis on housing-adjacent infrastructure, clean energy transitions, and transportation networks connecting underserved communities.
“We’re looking at a fundamental shift in how infrastructure dollars get allocated,” explains Dr. Simone Treadwell, infrastructure policy expert at the University of Toronto. “Previous lists prioritized shovel-readiness. This administration seems more focused on shovel-worthiness – projects that deliver transformational community impacts.”
The politics surrounding Thursday’s announcement can’t be overstated. With provincial premiers from British Columbia to Nova Scotia lobbying intensely for their priority projects, Carney’s choices will inevitably create winners and losers on the political landscape.
At last week’s Federation of Canadian Municipalities meeting in Halifax, municipal leaders expressed frustration about the opacity of the selection process. “We’ve submitted detailed proposals backed by community consultations, but the feedback loop has been virtually non-existent,” noted Saskatoon Mayor Daniel Corbett.
The infrastructure list represents the most concrete expression of Carney’s economic philosophy since taking over the finance portfolio. His repeated emphasis on “productive infrastructure” suggests a preference for projects with clear economic multiplier effects over those with primarily social benefits.
In Rimouski last month, I watched Carney field questions from frustrated local officials about previously delayed projects. “We need to distinguish between infrastructure that expands our productive capacity and infrastructure that simply meets current needs,” he told the crowd, offering a potential preview of Thursday’s justifications.
The timing of the announcement has raised eyebrows among opposition critics. Conservative infrastructure critic Michelle Rempel Garner suggested the government is “rushing announcements before economic headwinds worsen” in a statement released yesterday.
Numbers from the Parliamentary Budget Office support some opposition concerns. Their September report identified a 37% completion rate for projects announced in the previous major infrastructure package – substantially below the government’s projected timelines.
For communities waiting on federal dollars, Thursday’s announcement represents the culmination of years of planning and advocacy. In Thompson, Manitoba, Mayor Colleen Smook has been pushing for federal support for critical water infrastructure improvements since 2020.
“We’ve submitted the engineering studies, demonstrated the need, and shown how this connects to housing development,” she told me by phone. “Now we just wait to see if we made the cut.”
Indigenous communities across the country have submitted proposals addressing critical infrastructure gaps. The Assembly of First Nations has advocated for dedicated funding streams that acknowledge the historic underinvestment in Indigenous infrastructure.
“We’re not just looking for projects, but partnerships that recognize our jurisdiction and self-determination,” said Regional Chief Terry Teegee at a pre-announcement press conference in Vancouver yesterday.
Climate considerations appear to be a significant factor in project selection. Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault has repeatedly emphasized that all major infrastructure must align with Canada’s emissions reduction targets – a position that has created tension with provinces focused on traditional resource development.
The announcement comes against the backdrop of shifting public expectations around infrastructure. Recent polling by Abacus Data shows 67% of Canadians now prioritize climate resilience in public infrastructure – a marked increase from just 42% five years ago.
What remains unclear is how the government will balance regional interests. Atlantic Canada premiers have collectively pushed for increased per-capita allocation, arguing their aging infrastructure requires disproportionate investment. Meanwhile, rapidly growing municipalities in Ontario and British Columbia have emphasized population-based formulas that would direct funds to high-growth areas.
As I walked through Toronto’s Port Lands redevelopment yesterday – a previous recipient of major federal infrastructure dollars – the transformative potential of these investments was evident. What once was industrial wasteland now features flood protection, public spaces, and the foundations for new housing developments.
Thursday’s announcement will shape not just physical infrastructure but the economic geography of Canada for a generation. For the communities whose projects make the list, it represents the beginning of a new chapter. For those left waiting, it means starting the advocacy cycle anew.
Whether the Carney infrastructure vision delivers on its economic promises remains to be seen. But for now, communities across Canada simply wait for Thursday’s reveal – hoping their future made the cut.
