A new hydroelectric station, a long-awaited transit line, and a refurbished nuclear power plant, oh my.
ReNew Canada has released its annual Top100 Projects report, highlighting the largest public sector infrastructure projects currently under development across the country. Projects are ranked based on their confirmed cost, and must be in active procurement, assessment, design, or construction to be included on the list.
The 100 projects included in the 2024 iteration are valued at a record-high of $293B, up from $237B in 2023.
While the majority of projects were carried over from years past, 15 new projects — with a total value of nearly $20B — were added to the list, including the South Niagara Hospital (rank 22, total value of $3.6B), and the Surrey Hospital and BC Cancer Centre (rank 28, total value of $2.8B).
The transit sector led the report, with 26 projects valued at $122B, followed by the buildings sector with 31 projects valued at $51B. The nine energy sector projects were valued at $48B, while the 19 in the transportation sector were valued at $41B. The water/wastewater, remediation, and communications sector accounted for the remaining 15 projects, valued at $31B.
At $16B, British Columbia’s Site C Clean Energy Project retained its position as the highest-valued project in Canada for a third year running. Ontario’s GO Expansion — ON-Corridor Works, valued at $15.7B, and Bruce Power Refurbishment, valued at $13B, took second and third place, respectively.
On a provincial basis, 42 of the projects included on the list are located in Ontario. All told, they have a combined value of $171B, or roughly 60% of the national total. A further 22 projects can be found in BC, with a total value of $63B, while Quebec’s 17 projects are valued at $35.5B.
The three provinces lay claim to the top 10 most expensive infrastructure projects underway across Canada — here’s a look at them.
1. Site C Clean Energy Project
BC Hydro
Province: British Columbia
City/Region: Near Fort St. John
Industry Sector: Energy
Project Value: $16B
Estimated Date of Substantial Completion: 2025
Site C will be the third dam and hydroelectric generating station on British Columbia's Peace River. Upon completion, it will provide 1,100 megawatts (MW) of capacity, and produce about 5,100 gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity each year – enough to power about 450,000 homes or 1.7 million electric vehicles.
Construction began in July 2015 and is 80% complete; work is on-track to have all six generating units in service by 2025 as planned.
2. GO Expansion — ON-Corridor Works
Infrastructure Ontario
Province: Ontario
City/Region: Greater Toronto-Hamilton Area
Industry Sector: Transit
Project Value: $15.7B
Estimated Date of Substantial Completion: 2032
On-Corridor Works is the largest capital infrastructure project within the GO Expansion program, and includes all work that facilitates train service, including tracks, signalling, and electric vehicles, as well as the operations and maintenance of the GO rail network.
Construction on the GO Expansion project began in April 2022. Upon completion, it will deliver two-way, all-day train service every 15 minutes on core segments of the GO Transit rail network.
3. Bruce Power Refurbishment
Bruce Power
Province: Ontario
City/Region: Tiverton
Industry Sector: Energy
Project Value: $13B
Estimated Date of Substantial Completion: 2033
The Major Component Replacement Project (MCR) began in January 2020, and will see key reactor components, including steam generators, pressure tubes, and feeder tubes, in Units 3 to 8 replaced. The first of six refurbishments was completed in September 2023 when Unit 6 was synched back to the grid — ahead of schedule and under budget. Work on Unit 4 is set to start in 2025, and all six reactors will be refurbished by 2033. The project will extend each reactor's operational life by roughly 30 to 35 years.
The MCR is part of a broader Life-Extension Program, which began in January 2016.
4. Darlington Nuclear Refurbishment
Ontario Power Generation
Province: Ontario
City/Region: Clarington
Industry Sector: Energy
Project Value: $12.8B
Estimated Date of Substantial Completion: 2026
Similar to the Bruce Power project, the Darlington Refurbishment Project involves replacing core components in the station's four reactors. Work began in 2016, and Units 2 and 3 completed refurbishment by July 2023. Work is underway on Units 1 and 4, and is expected to be finished in Q2 2025 and Q4 2026, respectively.
The refurbishment project will extend Darlington's operations by at least 30 years.
5. Eglinton Crosstown LRT
sockagphoto/Shutterstock
Province: Ontario
City/Region: Toronto
Industry Sector: Transit
Project Value: $12.5B
Estimated Date of Substantial Completion: 2024
The Eglinton Crosstown LRT will span 19 km of Eglinton Avenue from Mount Dennis to Kennedy Station, creating an east-west connection in Toronto's midtown. The 25-stop line will link 54 bus routes, three subway stations, and multiple GO Transit lines.
Construction on the light-rail transit line began in 2011, and was initially slated for completion in 2020. The project has faced numerous delays, including supply chain issues, "unpredictable defects," and legal battles. As of January 2025, no new opening date has been announced.
6. Ontario Line
Metrolinx
Province: Ontario
City/Region: Toronto
Industry Sector: Transit
Project Value: $11B
Estimated Date of Substantial Completion: 2031
The Ontario Line is a 15-station, 15.6-kilometre subway line that will run from Exhibition Place, through downtown Toronto, and up to the Ontario Science Centre and Flemingdon Park. The new transit line will offer connections to the existing Line 1 and 2 subways, the aforementioned Eglinton Crosstown LRT, and multiple bus and streetcar routes.
Construction on the Ontario Line is underway across Toronto.
7. GO Expansion Projects – Early Works
Metrolinx
Province: Ontario
City/Region: Toronto
Industry Sector: Transit
Project Value: $10.5B
Estimated Date of Substantial Completion: 2025
The Early Works segment of the GO Expansion Project is comprised of more than 50 individual projects, including the Davenport Diamond Rail Grade Separation Project, the Union Station Enhancement Project, and the Highway 401 Rail Tunnel. Smaller projects include station renovations, expansions, and improvements.
8. Iona Island Wastewater Treatment Plant
Metro Vancouver
Province: British Columbia
City/Region: Richmond
Industry Sector: Water/Wastewater
Project Value: $9.9B
Estimated Date of Substantial Completion: 2035
Built in 1963, the existing Iona Island Wastewater Treatment Plant serves approximately 750,000 residents in Vancouver, Burnaby, and Richmond, and processes about 200 billion litres of wastewater per year. The facility is nearing the end of its service life, and will undergo a number of upgrades in order to protect public health and the environment. These include updated seismic standards and increased energy efficiency, as well as a number of ecological projects.
The project is currently in the early works and preliminary design phase.
9. Réseau Express Métropolitain
Réseau express métropolitain
Province: Quebec
City/Region: Montreal
Industry Sector: Transit
Project Value: $8B
Estimated Date of Substantial Completion: 2024
The Réseau express metropolitain (REM) is a new 26-station, 67-km automated light rail system that will connect downtown Montreal, South Shore, West Island, North Shore, and the Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport.
The REM's first five-station segment opened in July 2023, and, with the exception of the airport section which will come on-line in 2027, the remaining segments are expected to be completed by the end of 2024.
10. TTC Vehicles Program
Toronto Transit Commission
Province: Ontario
City/Region: Toronto
Industry Sector: Transit
Project Value: $7.1B
Estimated Date of Substantial Completion: 2022-2036
Upgrades to the TTC's fleet include 264 new streetcars ($1.6B), more than 100 new Wheel-Trans vehicle ($363M), and hybrid and electric buses ($4.4B), as well as an electrification program ($766M) that will support charging infrastructure for the latter. The transit commission plans to have installed 60 e-chargers at the Arrow Road, Mt. Dennis, and Eglinton garages by 2024, and intends to electrify its entire fleet by 2036.
