Quebec LNG proposal not of ‘national interest’ at this point, says federal minister
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
We need your support!
Local journalism needs your support!
As we navigate through unprecedented times, our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates to keep you safe and informed.
Now, more than ever, we need your support.
Starting at $15.99 plus taxes every four weeks you can access your Brandon Sun online and full access to all content as it appears on our website.
Subscribe Nowor call circulation directly at (204) 727-0527.
Your pledge helps to ensure we provide the news that matters most to your community!
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Brandon Sun access to your Winnipeg Free Press subscription for only
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
*$1 will be added to your next bill. After your 4 weeks access is complete your rate will increase by $4.99 a X percent off the regular rate.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
MONTREAL – Federal Energy Minister Tim Hodgson says it’s too early to say whether a liquefied natural gas facility pitched for Quebec meets the bar of being in the national interest.
“My sense is this is not a project that is at a scale where we need to be looking at it,” the minister said. “It’s certainly not a project of national interest at this point.”
The minister made the comment in Montreal on Friday during an announcement Canada would be investing $22 million to boost the country’s battery production capacity.
Marinvest Energy Canada had been lobbying Hodgson’s department in recent months regarding a possible natural gas pipeline and export facility near Baie-Comeau, Que, just as the Liberal government was preparing to table legislation to fast-track major projects.
The federal government passed that law this June, making way for accelerated approvals on major infrastructure and energy projects deemed to be in the national interest.
In May, senior federal officials at the Natural Resources Department had touted the plan for the facility, writing in a briefing note it had the potential to export “substantial volumes” of LNG to Europe, documents obtained by The Canadian Press reveal.
A public servant for the department also met with representatives from Marinvest, a subsidiary of a Norwegian energy company, to talk about the plan.
“If and when Marinvest wants to re-engage, they are welcome to do it. They will be evaluated like any other project,” Hodgson said, adding he never personally met with any of those representatives.
The Quebec government would also have to be on board, Hodgson said.
The office for Quebec Minister Christine Fréchette had declined to comment on the company’s plan, telling The Canadian Press earlier this week that no formal proposal for a facility has been submitted yet.
A spokesperson for her office did say however that the province has “a duty to objectively and rigorously examine projects of national interest,” especially considering how the Trump administration has disrupted Quebec’s economy.
Hodgson said any LNG project in Quebec would also need to be supported by any affected First Nation communities.
In 2021, the Quebec government rejected a similar fossil fuel project in the province’s Saguenay region, one which had attracted widespread opposition, including from many Indigenous communities.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 3, 2025.
With files from Maura Forrest