Western Copper and Gold announced that Prime Minister Mark Carney has referred the Northwest Critical Conservation Corridor, which includes the proposed Yukon‑B.C. Grid Connect, to the federal Major Projects Office (MPO) on November 17 2025. The MPO, created in 2025 to streamline approvals for projects of national interest, will now oversee the corridor’s development and the high‑voltage transmission line that will link Yukon’s isolated grid to the Canadian power system.
The Grid Connect is a key infrastructure component for the company’s Casino Project, a large‑scale copper‑gold mine in the Yukon Territory. By positioning the Casino Project as an anchor tenant, the grid connect’s power demand helps justify the line’s economic viability and accelerates the mine’s path to production. The MPO’s involvement is expected to reduce regulatory delays, shorten the project timeline, and lower capital costs, thereby de‑risking the Casino Project’s development schedule.
The MPO’s mandate to coordinate federal approvals means that the corridor’s permitting, environmental assessments, and financing arrangements will be managed through a single point of contact. This consolidation is projected to cut approval time by several months and streamline the complex web of federal, provincial, and Indigenous approvals that typically slow large‑scale infrastructure projects in the North.
For Western Copper and Gold, the referral signals strong federal support for critical mineral development and positions the company to secure financing more efficiently. The accelerated grid connect will enable the Casino Project to meet its power requirements sooner, improving the mine’s operational feasibility and strengthening the company’s long‑term growth prospects.
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