The LNG project would ship liquefied gas from the deepwater port of Baie-Comeau, a small city on the shores of the St. Lawrence River, to global markets.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The project would require a new pipeline \u2014\u00a0through a small portion of northern Ontario and a swath of Quebec \u2014\u00a0to send mostly fracked gas<\/a> from Western Canada to Baie-Comeau, in the province\u2019s C\u00f4te-Nord region.<\/p>\n But you won\u2019t find any information about this major resource project on the website of Marinvest Energy AS, the Norwegian company behind it.<\/p>\n Nor will you find any information about the Baie-Comeau LNG project on any federal government website, even though access to information documents reveal Prime Minister Mark Carney\u2019s Liberal government has established a multi-departmental \u201cdeal team\u201d to facilitate the project.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s been no public announcement, no project description and nothing has been made public,\u201d Louis Couillard, Greenpeace Canada\u2019s climate campaigner, told The Narwhal. \u201cI\u2019m just puzzled at how a project can move along like this without an official proposal.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n In an emailed statement, Marinvest Energy AS confirmed it is in discussions with First Nations as it develops the project and said it will not be giving an interview \u201cat this stage.\u201d In an emailed response to questions, the Quebec government said it never publicly discusses talks it may \u201chave, or not have\u201d with project promoters.<\/p>\n That leaves Montreal-based Couillard and others in the dark, except for information gleaned from access to information requests that are\u00a0heavily redacted. One thing they do reveal is Marinvest has a non-disclosure agreement with the government of Canada \u201csuch that this project is not to be discussed with officials outside the government.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n So, what else do we know about the Baie-Comeau LNG project?\u00a0<\/p>\n And can it go ahead even though another Quebec LNG export proposal was soundly rejected by the provincial and federal governments only a few years ago? At issue then were risks posed to Indigenous communities, beluga whales and attempts to slash greenhouse gas emissions.\u00a0<\/p>\n Read on.<\/p>\n First of all, what exactly is the Baie-Comeau LNG proposal?\u00a0<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what we know.\u00a0<\/p>\n The project has four components: a gas pipeline, an undisclosed \u201crenewable energy supply,\u201d port infrastructure and gas liquefaction and storage.\u00a0<\/p>\n That information comes from Invest in Canada, the federal agency that promotes direct investments by foreign companies. It is included in 137 pages of documents Greenpeace obtained through federal access to information legislation and shared with The Narwhal.<\/p>\n The pipeline and renewable energy supply \u201cwould be developed in partnership with First Nations,\u201d according to the documents, which say the project is in the \u201cpre-planning stage.\u201d<\/p>\n The documents also say Marinvest \u201cclaims it is making progress on project development\u201d and the company may reach out to Canada\u2019s new Major Projects Office<\/a> with a project description in early 2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n In an emailed response to questions, a spokesperson for Canada\u2019s Major Projects Office said the project has not \u201cbeen referred\u201d to the office and \u201cnor has the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada received an initial project description, which would start the impact assessment process.\u201d The spokesperson said to contact Marinvest Energy for details about the project.<\/p>\n How big is the Baie-Comeau LNG project?<\/p>\n In a word, big. Really big. \u201cIt\u2019s a huge project in terms of the volume [of] exports that they want to do,\u201d Couillard said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Neither the company nor the Quebec or federal governments have released information about the volume of LNG the company plans to export. But a company representative earlier told Le Devoir<\/a> the project would export about ten million tonnes of LNG per year.<\/p>\n That compares to about three million tonnes in annual exports from the Cedar LNG<\/a> project in B.C., about two million tonnes annually from B.C.\u2019s Woodfibre LNG<\/a> project and about 12 million tonnes annually from the recently approved Ksi Lisims LNG<\/a> export project, also in B.C.<\/p>\n It would make Baie-Comeau Canada\u2019s third largest LNG export project, after Ksi Lisims and LNG Canada<\/a>, the country\u2019s first, in Kitimat, B.C.<\/p>\n The access to information documents lift the veil \u2014 a wee bit\u2014\u00a0on the federal government\u2019s level of commitment to the project.<\/p>\n \u201cGiven the scale and significance of this energy infrastructure project, we\u2019d like to establish a monthly coordination call to keep federal partners informed of the latest developments,\u201d Anne-Sophie Proutiere, senior federal partnerships advisor for Invest in Canada, wrote to her colleagues last May, according to the documents.<\/p>\n \u201cThese \u2018deal team\u2019 calls will also serve as a forum for departments to provide guidance and support to facilitate the investment,\u201d Proutiere wrote.\u00a0<\/p>\n Proutiere\u2019s email was\u00a0sent to colleagues in a variety of departments, including Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada. The subject line was \u201cmonthly coordination call \u2014\u00a0Marinvest Energy project\u201d.<\/p>\n Another email said the calls would \u201ccoordinate federal FDI [foreign direct investment] efforts to support this investment in Canada.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n What\u2019s the big deal about secrecy?\u00a0<\/p>\n The documents also reveal the non-disclosure agreement Marinvest has with Canada.<\/p>\n Duff Conacher, cofounder of Democracy Watch, a non-profit organization promoting government accountability and corporate responsibility, warns against fast-tracking major resource project decisions like the Baie-Comeau LNG project and failing to consult with the public and stakeholders before final decisions are made.<\/p>\n Fast-tracking \u201cusually leads to waste, and harm and corruption and boondoggles that actually don\u2019t further the public interest,\u201d Conacher said in an interview.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s just impossible for people sitting behind closed doors in Ottawa in the government to make good decisions about anything, because they need to connect to the reality of the impact of the decisions and action,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd the only way to do that is to consult with the public in a meaningful way before making the decision.\u201d<\/p>\n Conacher said fast-tracking decisions about major resource projects usually slows them down \u201cbecause once the public learns about it, the pushback is greater than if people had been consulted in the first place.\u201d That pushback can lead to court cases and other challenges, he pointed out.\u00a0<\/p>\n Dive deeper on this topic<\/p>\n The Carney government has demonstrated a lack of commitment to transparency in many areas of government actions, he said.<\/p>\n Couillard said he\u2019s worried people who would be impacted by the Baie-Comeau LNG project and the project\u2019s pipeline won\u2019t have the information \u201cnecessary to understand what\u2019s being fast-tracked in their backyards.\u201d<\/p>\n Phew, that\u2019s a lot. So who\u2019s behind the Baie-Comeau LNG project?<\/p>\n Greg Cano, who is connected to B.C.\u2019s contentious Coastal GasLink pipeline<\/a>, is the chief operating officer for Marinvest Energy Canada, a subsidiary of Marinvest Energy AS.\u00a0<\/p>\n According to Cano\u2019s LinkedIn profile<\/a>, he\u2019s a mechanical engineer who is an executive sponsor and former chief operations officer for Pacific Atlantic Pipeline Construction Ltd, a subsidiary of Italy\u2019s Bonatti Group.\u00a0<\/p>\n That name might sound familiar \u2014\u00a0the pipeline construction company was a primary contractor for the Coastal GasLink pipeline, which ships gas from northeast B.C. to the LNG Canada export terminal in Kitimat. Pacific Atlantic Pipeline Construction made the news in 2022 when Coastal GasLink terminated the company\u2019s contract, alleging poor performance.<\/p>\n You might be scratching your head by now, thinking Cano\u2019s name also sounds vaguely familiar. Based in Calgary, he\u2019s the former longtime director of project planning and execution for TransCanada, a major North America pipeline company now called TC Energy<\/a>. TC Energy co-owns and operates the Coastal GasLink pipeline.\u00a0<\/p>\n And gas for the Baie-Comeau LNG project would be shipped to the new pipeline through TC Energy\u2019s network, according to Couillard.\u00a0<\/p>\n If you live on Vancouver Island, there\u2019s all the more reason to recognize Cano\u2019s name. He was the former project lead for the Steelhead LNG, an export project proposed for Vancouver Island that was halted in 2019.<\/p>\n The Narwhal reached out to Cano by email but did not hear back.\u00a0<\/p>\n Marinvest Energy AS declined an interview request. \u201cIn a spirit of respect and transparency, our priority is to continue discussions with First Nations communities in order to further develop the project\u2019s concepts,\u201d Justin Meloche, the company\u2019s media relations director, said in an emailed statement.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAdditional information will be made public once the project has reached a more advanced stage and when concrete elements can be shared responsibly,\u201d Meloche added.<\/p>\n Marinvest Energy registered to lobby<\/a> the federal government in May 2025. The company said it would engage with the Prime Minister\u2019s Office, the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Finance Canada, Natural Resources Canada and the Canada Infrastructure Bank.<\/p>\n The stated goal was to determine \u201cthe applicable conditions for implementing a transformative and beneficial energy project for the future of Quebec and Canada.\u201d<\/p>\n Since then, five lobbyists from National Public Relations have filed reports saying they lobbied federal departments, agencies and the Prime Minister\u2019s Office.<\/p>\n The access to information documents note Marinvest is also in discussion with Alberta and Quebec representatives.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019ve been lobbying [for] their project behind the closed door for over a year,\u201d Couillard pointed out. \u201cBut for the public, there\u2019s absolutely no info except what we find through .\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re in the dark right now in regards to the regulatory stages that this project is in.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Would the Baie-Comeau LNG project export fracked gas?<\/p>\n Yes. The vast majority \u2014 80 to 90 per cent \u2014\u00a0of natural gas from Western Canada is extracted through hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as fracking. The access to information documents state the gas for the project would come from Western Canada.<\/p>\n Steven Haig, a policy advisor for the International Institute for Sustainable Development\u2019s energy program, pointed out fracking is a \u201cparticularly emissions-intensive method for producing natural gas.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAnd also, by nature of the process \u2026 there are significant risks of methane leaks, which add to the emissions associated with the production,\u201d Haig said in an interview. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that traps heat in the atmosphere, contributing to global warming and climate change. It can also cause respiratory and cardiovascular issues.\u00a0<\/p>\n Dive deeper on this topic<\/p>\n What about Indigenous communities near the LNG terminal and along the pipeline route?\u00a0<\/p>\n Couillard isn\u2019t convinced a majority of Indigenous communities will support the Baie-Comeau LNG project even after consultations.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cQuebec has a problem,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s all unceded. There\u2019s no treaties here. So technically, all these communities need to give their free, prior and informed consent for the project to go ahead.\u201d The Assembly of First Nations of Quebec and Labrador formally \u2014 and vocally \u2014 opposed TransCanada\u2019s bid to build the Energy East bitumen pipeline, which was cancelled in 2017.\u00a0<\/p>\n The documents obtained by Greenpeace and other environmental groups list Indigenous communities and organizations that could be affected by the pipeline and LNG project, but all further information is redacted.\u00a0<\/p>\n In Ontario, those communities include Apitipi Anicinapek Nation, M\u00e9tis Nation of Ontario (region three), Taykwa Tagamou Nation, Beaverhouse First Nation, Matachewan First Nation and potentially Mattagami First Nation and Temagami First Nation.<\/p>\n The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada recommended Marinvest engage with about two dozen Indigenous communities and organizations in Quebec, according to the documents. They include many Cree, Algonquin, Atikamekw and Innu communities, such as Pessamit, an Innu community about 60 kilometres south of Baie-Comeau.\u00a0<\/p>\n Along with other Innu communities, Pessamit opposed a different LNG export project proposed for the Saguenay region of Quebec on the grounds it would pose a threat to ancestral lands and impact fish and caribou. Pessamit representatives were unable to respond to a request for comment before publication.<\/p>\n So what about the rejected LNG project in Quebec?<\/p>\n The Quebec government nixed plans for a LNG plant in the Saguenay region in 2021, saying it risked \u201cdisadvantaging the energy transition.\u201d The province\u2019s environmental review agency found the project\u2019s risks outweighed its benefits. It said the proponent, GNL Qu\u00e9bec Inc., had failed to demonstrate the project would reduce greenhouse gas emissions or accelerate the transition to clean energy.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Saguenay LNG project would have been about the same size as the Baie-Comeau LNG project, according to Le Devoir.<\/p>\n The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada also found the Saguenay LNG project was likely to harm the environment, leading Ottawa to reject the project in 2022. The agency determined the project would have negative effects on nearby Innu communities, harm the beluga whale population through increased shipping traffic and cause greenhouse gas emissions to rise.\u00a0<\/p>\n Why ship LNG from Quebec?<\/p>\n Quebec has a distinct advantage over LNG shipped to Europe from other places in North America: geography.\u00a0<\/p>\n A typical shipping route between Baie-Comeau and the Dunkirk LNG terminal in northern France would take about eight days, according to the Montreal Economic Institute, a public policy think tank that receives 11 per cent of its annual budget from the oil and gas industry<\/a>. (Names of individual funders are not disclosed.)<\/p>\n It would take about 14 days at the same speed for LNG from the Gulf of Mexico\u2019s terminals to reach Dunkirk and more than 17 days from Doha, Qatar, another big LNG export terminal.<\/p>\n \u201cGeography plays in Quebec\u2019s favour,\u201d Gabriel Gigu\u00e8re, a senior policy analyst with the society, said in a February news release<\/a>. \u201cA shorter distance means shorter delivery times, and therefore lower transportation costs, compared to dealing with its main competitors.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Will there be an environmental assessment ?\u00a0<\/p>\n Some form of environmental assessment is likely if the Baie-Comeau LNG project proceeds, but the process could be fast-tracked.\u00a0<\/p>\n In December, the Quebec government introduced Bill 5, which aims to accelerate authorizations for projects deemed to be priorities and of national importance.\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"a](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/NAT-Baie-Comeau-map-Parkinson-1024x800.jpg\"\/)
Baie-Comeau is a small Quebec city where a Norwegian company wants to build an LNG export facility. In 2021, the Quebec government rejected a similar proposal, unconvinced the benefits outweighed risks such as threats to fish, caribou and the ancestral lands of Pessamit and other Innu communities. Map: Shawn Parkinson \/ The Narwhal<\/p>\n![\"Louis](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Natl-BaieComeau-Greenpeace-CP-1024x683.jpg\"\/)
\u201cThere\u2019s been no public announcement, no project description and nothing has been made public,\u201d Louis Couillard of Greenpeace Canada said. Photo: Justin Tang \/ The Canadian Press<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Kitimat-LNG-Canada-May-2023-Clemens-25-1024x767.jpg\"\/)
The proposed LNG facility in Baie-Comeau would be the third largest in the country. The LNG Canada facility in Kitimat, B.C., is currently the second largest. Photo: Marty Clemens \/ The Narwhal<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Royal_Bank_of_Canada_RBC_climate_change_CGL_flight_Simmons_The_Narwhal-09-1024x682.jpg\"\/)
The chief operating officer for Marinvest Energy Canada is Greg Cano, formerly the director of project planning and execution for TransCanada, which became. TC Energy. The major North America pipeline company co-owns and operates the Coastal GasLink pipeline in B.C. Photo: Matt Simmons \/ The Narwhal<\/p>\n![\"a](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Screenshot-2026-03-06-at-1.18.50-PM-1024x879.png\"\/)
<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Natl-BaieComeau-ATIP-Screenshot1-1024x894.png\"\/)
\nGreenpeace and other environmental groups obtained documents about the proposed LNG facility in Baie-Comeau through access to information legislation. They were heavily redacted. Screenshot: Sarah Cox \/ The Narwhal<\/p>\n![\"FILE](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Natl-BaieComeau-LNGship-CP-1024x719.jpg\"\/)
It takes half as long for a ship to travel to Europe from Quebec than from Qatar. A coming wave of global LNG projects could cause an oversupply that affects the economic viability of projects in Canada. Photo: Associated Press<\/p>\n