Fredericton, N.B. — November 10, 2025 — Prime Minister Mark Carney met with New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt on Monday in their first official meeting since Carney took office, pledging that the province will be included in the next round of Ottawa’s nation-building projects.
Holt has been pressing the federal government to ensure New Brunswick is not left out of Carney’s plan to “turbocharge” the economy by fast-tracking major projects of national importance. Speaking to reporters in Fredericton, Carney confirmed that New Brunswick will appear on the list when the next set of projects is unveiled Thursday.
“I’ve had a number of conversations with the premier about major projects here that meet the criteria,” Carney said. “They strengthen Canada’s autonomy, diversify our economy, are built with Indigenous partners, align with climate goals, and have a real economic return.”
Project Announcement Expected Thursday
Holt declined to reveal details ahead of the announcement but confirmed the upcoming project will not involve Wind West—a Nova Scotia-based wind initiative already supported by Ottawa.
“We’ll get the news on Thursday, so I don’t want to scoop the announcement,” she said. “It won’t be the interties [transmission connections]. It will be one of the other projects we’ve been pushing for.”
The premier added that her government has been “working hard” on several proposals eligible for federal funding.
Softwood Lumber and U.S. Trade Pressures
Ahead of the meeting, Holt identified softwood lumber as a key priority, particularly ongoing disputes with the United States over tariffs and duties.
After the discussion, she told reporters Carney demonstrated “a good handle on the file” and “the kind of seriousness that we are hoping for.”
“When the prime minister says that in the next two weeks they’ll confirm more supports, I can live with that,” Holt said. “We talked about the next steps the Canadian industry needs to take to get those tariffs removed.”
Carney’s visit comes amid strained Canada–U.S. trade relations. He criticized what he described as Washington’s increasingly protectionist stance.
“The U.S. is trying to shut out Canada’s forestry products,” Carney said. “This is a radically different U.S. trade policy than anything we’ve seen in our lifetimes.”
The announcement of the new project list later this week is expected to provide a clearer picture of how New Brunswick fits into the federal government’s broader push for economic growth and national resilience.
