YCR: BUILD IT OR BLOCK IT CHALLENGE

Welcome to the Build It or Block It Challenge

As future engineers, the decisions you make about what Canada builds—or doesn’t build—will follow you through your career. Every bridge, reactor, or pipeline represents thousands of choices: design, cost, community, and consequence. Each infrastructure project involves technical trade-offs, community impact, national interest, and global positioning.

In this challenge, your group will evaluate five major Canadian projects (currently under discussion or development) that could reshape Canada’s economy, security, and energy future. Each one could be described as nation-building—large in scale, significant in impact, and deeply tied to how Canada grows, trades, and competes globally.

Your task (10 minutes total):

1. Read the five project briefs below.
2. Discuss the benefits and challenges of each, examining key dimensions:
   • National security / geopolitical advantage
   • Jobs & economic impact
   • GDP / fiscal benefits
   • Environmental & climate outcomes
   • Investment / technical feasibility
   • Social licence / partnerships (including Indigenous relations)

1. As a group choose:
   • The one project you would build first if Canada could only proceed with one right now
     
2. Be ready to report back with a two-minute pitch stating:
   • Which project your group chose to build (and why)
   • What values drove your decision (economic growth, environment, equity, national security or global influence)

There is no “right answer”—the point is to think critically about trade-offs, engineering implications, and national strategy.

Project Briefs

1. Canada Connects Pipeline Access (oil pipeline from Alberta to Pacific coast)

Overview:
Canada is considering a major oil-pipeline corridor that would transport Alberta’s crude oil to a West-Coast export terminal, allowing access to Asian energy markets and reducing reliance on U.S. export routes. This project would not only shift Canada’s trade patterns but also strengthen our energy sovereignty, reduce transit vulnerability, and enhance geopolitical positioning. Engineers would be challenged with pipeline design, environmental mitigation, routing, and export terminal logistics.
 

• Jobs & Economic Impact: Construction would create over 35,000 direct and indirect jobs at peak, plus long-term operations and maintenance employment.
• GDP / Fiscal Benefit: Could contribute $50–70 billion in GDP and billions in federal and provincial revenues over its lifetime through royalties, taxes, and exports.
• Environmental / Climate Outcome: Would raise Canadian emissions modestly (roughly 1–2 Mt CO₂e/year) but potentially replace higher-emission imports globally, improving net global efficiency.
• Investment / Technical Feasibility: Technically straightforward for Canadian pipeline firms but carries major permitting, cost, and financing challenges.
• Social Licence / Partnerships: Strong support in Alberta and Saskatchewan, mixed in British Columbia; success depends on early Indigenous co-ownership and transparent engagement.
• National Security / Geopolitical Advantage: Reduces reliance on U.S. export routes, diversifies energy markets toward Asia, and strengthens Canada’s global leverage.

2. Darlington New Nuclear Project (Small Modular Reactors – Ontario)

Overview:

At the site of the existing Darlington Nuclear Generating Station in Ontario a new cluster of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) is planned. This project leverages existing licensing, infrastructure and manufacturing supply chains to position Canada at the cutting-edge of nuclear innovation. Engineers will work on nuclear design, manufacturing, licensing, operation and export readiness. This aligns clean-energy goals, industrial policy and national technological leadership.

• Jobs & Economic Impact: Expected to generate 18,000 jobs during construction and about 3,700 ongoing jobs for operation and supply-chain support.
• GDP / Fiscal Benefit: Projected to contribute $35 billion+ to Ontario’s GDP over its life through technology development and power generation.
• Environmental / Climate Outcome: Provides zero-emission baseload power, supporting electrification and deep decarbonization without intermittency.
• Investment / Technical Feasibility: Among the world’s first grid-scale SMR deployments; engineering complexity high but risk mitigated by existing licensed site.
• Social Licence / Partnerships: Generally favourable public opinion in Ontario for nuclear expansion, supported by local municipalities and industry.
• National Security / Geopolitical Advantage: Positions Canada as a global nuclear technology leader, reduces import dependence, and bolsters energy resilience.

3. Churchill Falls Renewal Project (Hydro expansion in Newfoundland & Labrador with Quebec)

Overview:
This project involves upgrading and expanding the existing Churchill Falls Generating Station hydro-facility in Labrador, with new agreements with Quebec replacing antiquated contracts, modernizing infrastructure, and creating a cleaner power base for decades. For Canadian engineers, it means civil/heavy-construction work in remote terrain, new transmission links, and inter-provincial energy trade. Its significance lies in clean power, regional economic development and national energy reliability.

• Jobs & Economic Impact: Could create 4,000–6,000 skilled jobs during construction and sustain hundreds more for operations and maintenance.
• GDP / Fiscal Benefit: Expected to bring tens of billions in long-term provincial revenue through modernized contracts and fairer power pricing.
• Environmental / Climate Outcome: Delivers zero-emission electricity, supporting Canada’s 2050 climate goals and replacing fossil generation elsewhere.
• Investment / Technical Feasibility: A multi-billion-dollar, multi-year hydro expansion requiring major civil engineering and transmission upgrades in remote terrain.
• Social Licence / Partnerships: Viewed positively in Atlantic Canada; cooperation with Innu Nation and local communities remains essential to success.
• National Security / Geopolitical Advantage: Improves inter-provincial energy security and grid stability while strengthening Canada’s low-carbon export potential.

4.  Northern Ontario Critical Minerals Corridor and Ring of Fire (Mining & processing of nickel, copper, chromite)

Overview:
In Northern Ontario and other remote regions Canada has large deposits of critical minerals (nickel, copper, chromite) essential to electric-vehicles, batteries and clean-tech manufacturing. This corridor project would build mines, processing plants, roads, power lines and logistics hubs, enabling Canada to secure its place in the global supply chain and reduce reliance on foreign sources. Engineers will engage across extraction, processing, infrastructure and community coordination.

• Jobs & Economic Impact: Long-term potential for up to 7,000 direct mining and processing jobs, plus thousands more in logistics and construction.
• GDP / Fiscal Benefit: Could add $25–40 billion in GDP over its first two decades, positioning Canada as a supplier of materials essential to EVs and batteries.
• Environmental / Climate Outcome: Mining and road construction have localized environmental impacts, but the resulting minerals are vital for global decarbonization.
• Investment / Technical Feasibility: Demands new roads, power lines, and processing plants in remote terrain — an engineering and financial challenge requiring multi-level coordination.
• Social Licence / Partnerships: Progress depends entirely on trust-based partnerships with Indigenous Nations; currently mixed support across communities.
• National Security / Geopolitical Advantage: Strengthens Canada’s role as a trusted democratic supplier of critical minerals, reducing reliance on China and Russia.

5. West-Coast LNG Export Expansion (LNG Canada Phase 2, Kitimat, BC)

Overview:
The LNG Canada facility in Kitimat, British Columbia is planning a Phase 2 expansion to double export capacity of liquefied natural gas to Asian markets. This project leverages Canada’s natural-gas reserves, engineering strength, transmission capabilities and strategic location on the Pacific. Engineers will deal with liquefaction trains, offshore shipping logistics, feed-gas supply and export terminal integration. The project advances Canada’s energy export diversification, global trade positioning and national resilience.

• Jobs & Economic Impact: Phase 2 construction could support up to 9,000 on-site jobs, with thousands more across supply chains and long-term operations.
• GDP / Fiscal Benefit: Would add $3–4 billion per year in GDP during construction and generate tens of billions in export revenue annually once operational.
• Environmental / Climate Outcome: Produces lower life-cycle emissions than coal, helping Asia reduce emissions, though it increases Canada’s domestic totals modestly.
• Investment / Technical Feasibility: Estimated $18–20 billion capital investment; proven LNG technology but complex logistics from gas supply to shipping.
• Social Licence / Partnerships: Supported by many First Nations partners involved in equity arrangements, though environmental groups remain critical.
• National Security / Geopolitical Advantage: Diversifies energy exports, enhances alliances with Asian democracies, and strengthens Canada’s energy-security contribution to allies.

Discussion Questions

Use these to guide your group conversation:

• Which project delivers the greatest long-term benefit for Canadians, and why?
• What trade-offs (environmental, financial, or political) are you willing to accept to make it happen?
• Which project best aligns with your values as an engineer: innovation, sustainability, equity or national security?
• If you were the project lead accountable for success or failure, how would your choice change?
• What lessons about leadership, teamwork, engineering judgement, and stakeholder communication apply across all six projects?