Thank you, Chief Councillor Nyce, for your words.

They tell us of your past, our past, and the pain of that past, which we will reflect on this week and tomorrow on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

They tell us of the progress of the present. What has been achieved here – what we are celebrating today and the possibilities of the future.

I’m going to say a few words to try to put into context the scale of this announcement.

It’s above and beyond this project; it’s the way it has come together; it’s the way it’s been built; it’s the teamwork that teaches a lesson to all Canadians – and I would hope, others around the world.

Premier Eby, Wael, Taufik, Mr. Lieu, Sato-san, Mr. Kim, Chris Cooper, elected and hereditary chiefs, and friends.

What a project. What a partnership. What a great day for Canada.

The scale of this investment shows it. The partnership – the true partnership that you have all created – proves it. The speed with which you’re moving confirms it.

Canada is working. Canada is building big again.

Today’s investment of over $30 billion in LNG Canada Phase 2 will make LNG Canada the second-largest facility of its kind in the world. It will create thousands of new jobs. It will connect low-cost, low-carbon Canadian energy to global markets to provide the secure supply our partners in Asia and Europe need.

Thanks to LNG Canada’s decision today, TC Energy is moving forward with its own multi-billion-dollar Phase 2 of the Coastal GasLink pipeline.

That means doubling capacity, creating an additional 2,000 jobs, and maximising the value of the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin, one of the world’s most prolific natural gas basins.

This is Team Canada at work.

All levels of government are pulling in the same direction along with First Nations, five global energy companies, and thousands of skilled trades, contractors, and communities across Northern British Columbia working together as part of Team Canada.

Building in true partnership with Indigenous Peoples, including supporting major Indigenous ownership for generational prosperity – and I salute your vision to realise that.

The speed of this project shows that when Canadians want something built, we get it built.

A year ago, the federal government referred LNG Canada Phase 2 to our Major Projects Office. One office. One point of contact. One goal: get to the right decision as rapidly and as efficiently as possible.

Working with Shell, LNG Canada, British Columbia, and First Nations, we have accomplished exactly that.

Twelve months from referral to final investment decision is the pace that this pivotal moment in Canada’s history demands.

We’re a country of high standards, but high standards don’t require slow decision. They require focused government – government that gets all the information that it needs, shares it immediately with all those who need it, and then sets the right conditions to build.

We are doing this in the right way by building sustainably.

Building sustainably means harnessing Canada’s clean energy advantage to provide cleaner energy for the entire world. 

Because of this advantage, LNG Canada’s emissions in Kitimat should be lower than those of any other facility of comparable size worldwide. That means more energy and fewer emissions for the planet. 

Building sustainably also means protecting our waters. In a few hours, I will announce a historic investment by the Government of Canada in ocean protection, because sustainable growth and conservation go hand in hand.

When we build, Canadians go to work.

In Kitimat alone, Phase 2 will create up to 4,000 jobs at the peak of construction.

Good jobs for welders, pipefitters, electricians, ironworkers, and heavy-equipment operators. New business for fabricators and suppliers, building on the nearly $5 billion in contracts that have been already awarded to First Nations and local businesses across the region.

And because we are moving fast – because our partners need this energy – construction will begin immediately.

These are the benefits for us. But the benefits will extend beyond our borders.

In the face of global uncertainty, countries are choosing their partners based on the rarest resource: trust. Canada is becoming the supplier of choice that our allies can depend on. To reach Asia, our low-carbon LNG crosses the Pacific in just eight to 10 days – no canals, no straights, no problems. That is less than half the time it takes for shipments from the U.S. coast of the Gulf of Mexico. 

Every shipment from Kitimat strengthens our allies’ security and makes Canada more independent, more resilient, and more prosperous.

Let me reflect on something Wael just said.

Eight years ago, in 2018, Shell and its partners bet on Canada: bet on making the largest private investment in our history. They did so at a time when Canada had never exported LNG at scale.

In June last year, the first cargo sailed. Their bet, their investment, their confidence paid off. Their partnership paid off.

Let’s recognise that today’s investment is being made in a different environment. A more dangerous and divided world. A world where Canada fully values export diversification and the greater sovereignty it confers. A world where speed, reliability, and predictability are major competitive advantages. A world where Canadians are committed to building Canada strong for all.

We have what the world wants. Canada is a reliable and trusted partner. We’re delivering big again.

We are building big, building fast.

And crucially, as everyone has emphasised, building in the right way.

Working together, working for all Canadians.

And we are just getting started.

Thank you very much.