Federal grants for Atlantic Loop
Petitioners ask the House to convert prior federal loans for the Atlantic Loop into federal grants for an HVDC corridor delivering base‑load power from Québec to Atlantic provinces. The government responds it will support coordination.
Why we would sign this petition
- Reduces financial barriers: grants remove upfront loan costs and risk for provinces, territories and Indigenous partners, making it easier to start HVDC corridor construction.
- Improves reliability and coordination: an HVDC corridor could deliver stable base‑load power and enable expanded electricity trade and system coordination across Québec and Atlantic provinces.
- Speeds national projects and jobs: federal grants could accelerate construction, attract investment and align with existing transmission financing and the Major Projects Office.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- Jurisdictional complexity: electricity planning is provincial, so federal grants could raise legal and coordination issues requiring provincial agreement.
- Fiscal trade‑offs: converting loans to grants shifts costs to federal taxpayers and may require trade‑offs with other priorities.
- Existing tools may suffice: the government already offers tax credits, strategic financing and infrastructure bank support, so targeted financing or coordination might be more efficient than full grants.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
Petition to the House of Commons WHEREAS Premier Wab Kinew, Manitoba and Premier P.J. Akeeagok, Nunavut and Premier Legault, Quebec and Grand Chief Kahsennenhawe Sky-Deer, Mohawk council have all requested federal government grants to pay for High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) transmission lines in their respective community energy corridor projects. We, the undersigned citizens and residents of Canada call upon the House of Commons in Parliament assembled, respectfully request the former federal government loan support for the Atlantic Loop project to be revisited as federal government grant support for the HVDC transmission line energy corridor for delivering clean, stable BASE LOAD from Quebec to NB, NS & PEI.
Government response
Response by the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Signed by The Honourable Tim Hodgson, P.C., M.P. In a rapidly shifting global landscape, we need to act decisively to build a stronger, more competitive, and prosperous economy for Canadian workers; and Canada’s natural resources are an engine that will drive the country forward. But serving the growing energy needs of Canadian industries and other critical and emerging areas such as transportation networks and Artificial Intelligence, will require significant investments, co-operation, and determination.? Results from various studies, including the North American Renewable Integration Study, the Clean Power Roadmap for Atlantic Canada, and the Regional Electricity Cooperation and Strategic Infrastructure initiative all point to an opportunity for jurisdictions to achieve real cost savings through expanded electricity trade and system coordination, especially as economic sectors electrify and the use of renewable generation and storage technologies increases. In Canada, provinces and territories hold jurisdiction over electricity planning and operations within their borders. Since we know the grid will need to expand and that cooperation between jurisdictions will be the most efficient means of facilitating that expansion, the Government of Canada will work in partnership with provinces and territories to help establish supportive enabling conditions. This includes working with the provinces and territories to identify the up-front costs necessary to advance their electricity priorities and unlock the benefits of expanded trade and system coordination.? The Government of Canada is already investing in upgrading the electrical system through investment tax credits, strategic financing, and targeted programs. These measures have already enabled progress. For example, earlier this year the Canada Infrastructure Bank closed $217?million in equity financing to enable a new transmission reliability intertie linking Nova Scotia and New Brunswick which will improve the reliability of interprovincial power grids and support the expansion of renewable energy production. Natural Resources Canada has also provided $24 million in predevelopment funding to support work by New Brunswick Power and Nova Scotia Power on transmission interties. The Canada Infrastructure Bank investment will help Nova Scotia construct the 160-kilometre, 345-kilovolt transmission line parallel to the existing connection from Onslow, Nova Scotia, to Salisbury, New Brunswick.? In August, the Prime Minister announced the launch of the new?Major Projects Office. The Major Projects Office will work to fast-track nation-building projects by streamlining regulatory assessment and approvals and helping to structure financing, in close partnership with provinces, territories, Indigenous Peoples, and private investors. The Major Projects Office will help to identify projects that are in Canada’s national interest and accelerate their development. In September, the Prime Minister announced the first series of projects being referred to the Major Projects Office for consideration. In addition, it also highlighted several strategies for?projects that could be transformative for this country, which are at an earlier stage and require further development. Wind West Atlantic Energy was one of these. It is a project that could leverage over 60 gigawatts of wind power potential in Nova Scotia, and more across Atlantic Canada, connecting that renewable, emissions-free energy to Eastern and Atlantic Canada to meet rapidly growing demand. This Eastern Energy Partnership could include important projects, like interties between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, transmission cables between Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick, as well as Québec’s and Newfoundland and Labrador’s further development of Churchill Falls and Gull Island. Indeed, these measures are only part of the Government of Canada’s transformative commitment to protect the country’s economic sovereignty, empower Canadian workers and businesses, and build the strongest economy in the G7. This will include building a One Canadian Economy turbo-charged by major nation-building projects that connect our regions, diversify our products and markets, and create hundreds of thousands of high-paying careers for our workers from the trades to technology, all while protecting the environment and upholding the rights of Indigenous Peoples. A second tranche of projects being referred to the Major Projects Office will be announced by Grey Cup Day on November 16th.