Minister Hodgson completes successful B.C. trip focused on advancing nation-building in partnership with Indigenous Peoples

VANCOUVER, BC, May 15, 2026 /CNW/ - Canada is embarking upon a once-in-a-generation era of building a stronger, more secure, more sovereign nation. This offers a historic opportunity to advance reconciliation and fundamentally transform our relationship with Indigenous Peoples through collaboration, consultation and a focus on placing Indigenous ownership at the heart of natural resource development.

British Columbia has ambitious energy goals, world-leading mineral deposits and a vast forest products ecosystem, along with a clean electricity grid, talented workforce, short shipping times to key Asian markets and strong Indigenous partnerships at the forefront of major projects development -- positioning the province to lead our energy superpower ambitions. Today, the Honourable Tim Hodgson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, completed a tour of British Columbia energy, mining and forestry projects, where he met with industry and Indigenous leaders and saw first-hand progress across energy, mining and forestry in Vancouver, Terrace, Kitimat, Dease Lake and throughout northwest B.C.

While in B.C., Minister Hodgson visited projects referred to the Major Projects Office (MPO):

• LNG Canada, whose Phase 2 project is expected to attract $33 billion in private-sector capital to Canada and double the facility's production of low-carbon liquefied natural gas while contributing significantly to Canada's export diversification targets; and
• The Northwest Critical Conservation Corridor in the Golden Triangle area of northern British Columbia, which includes the Red Chris Mine. The mine is currently undergoing an expansion that would increase Canada's annual copper production by over 15 percent, employ about 1,500 workers during operations and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by over 70 percent when operational. The Minister met with leaders of the Tahltan Nation, who are working in close collaboration on the project. In addition to Red Chris, the Minister visited copper, gold, silver and molybdenum mines including Brucejack Mine, the KSM project, Eskay Creek, Galore Creek and Shaft Creek.

While in Kitimat, Minister Hodgson met with Indigenous leaders from the Haisla Nation, the majority owner of the $5.9-billion Cedar LNG project, a floating export facility and marine terminal in Kitimat that is currently under construction. Set to be the largest Indigenous majority-owned infrastructure project in Canada, Cedar LNG will create approximately 300 full-time construction and trades jobs and 100 highly skilled jobs in Canada, with a strong focus on providing long-term Indigenous employment opportunities. It is expected to generate $275 million in gross domestic product (GDP) contributions over construction and $85 million in annual GDP contributions during operations. The Minister and Haisla leaders discussed how Cedar LNG will create jobs, drive economic growth, diversify our export markets and support global energy security by supplying low-carbon Canadian LNG to Asia-Pacific markets.

Minister Hodgson also highlighted the renewal of the Indigenous Natural Resources Partnership Program in the Spring Economic Update. With $84 million in funding over four years, this program aims to increase the economic participation of Indigenous communities and organizations in the development of natural resource projects. This investment builds on the expansion in March 2025 of the Indigenous Loan Guarantee Program from $5 billion to $10 billion, which enables greater Indigenous equity participation in major natural resource and infrastructure projects.

As Canada enters a historic era of building at scale, success depends on speed, ambition, investment and partnership. Through efforts to accelerate regulatory processes, provide investor confidence and strengthen Indigenous engagement and financing tools, the Government of Canada is moving quickly and responsibly to build big things that will benefit all Canadians.

Quote

"Canada is entering a defining moment of nation building. We are not just developing projects -- we are reshaping how this country builds at scale. We are not only removing red tape, streamlining processes and catalyzing investment, we are also grounding progress in partnership with Indigenous Peoples. This is what durable prosperity and economic sovereignty look like, and this is how we will build Canada Strong for all generations to come."

The Honourable Tim Hodgson
Minister of Energy and Natural Resources

Quick Facts

• The Government of Canada established the MPO to bring business development and project execution experience to accelerate nation-building projects and advance transformative strategies that help build a stronger, more independent and resilient economy for Canada. The MPO moves major projects forward faster and responsibly by serving as a single-window federal co-ordinator that enhances regulatory certainty and investor confidence while protecting the environment and respecting the rights of Indigenous Peoples.
• The MPO process is built on partnership with Indigenous Peoples and all orders of government. An Indigenous Advisory Council supports the MPO as it works to ensure that proponents and major projects advance the interests of Indigenous communities that may be impacted, while federal–provincial collaboration reduces duplication and improves timely decision making.

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Associated Links

• Indigenous Natural Resource Partnerships
• Indigenous Loan Guarantee Program
• Major Projects Office
• Critical Minerals in Canada
• Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy
• Spring Economic Update 2026
• Canada Strong Fund

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SOURCE Natural Resources Canada

Contacts: Natural Resources Canada, Media Relations, 343-292-6096, [email protected]; Charlotte Power, Office of the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, [email protected]