{"id":2672,"date":"2025-06-30T12:15:35","date_gmt":"2025-06-30T19:15:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/engage.gov.bc.ca\/infrastructure\/?page_id=2672"},"modified":"2025-07-11T11:32:50","modified_gmt":"2025-07-11T18:32:50","slug":"tools","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/engage.gov.bc.ca\/infrastructure\/tools\/","title":{"rendered":"Project categories, designation, and tools"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-engagement-container\"><div class=\"engagement-page\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-engagement-content\"><bcgov-breadcrumb>\n        <a href=\"https:\/\/engage.gov.bc.ca\/infrastructure\">Home<\/a>\n                          <span>\n        Project categories, designation, and tools\n  <\/span>\n  <div style=\"display: flex\" slot=\"breadcrumb-extra\">\n      <\/div>\n  <\/bcgov-breadcrumb>\n\n\n<h1 class=\"bcgov-engagement-header \">Project categories, designation, and tools<\/h1>\n<p>The\u202fInfrastructure Projects Act (Act) is a new law in British Columbia that helps speed up the delivery of major public infrastructure\u2014like hospitals, schools, and long-term care homes\u2014so communities can get the services they need, faster. You can read more about the Act in our <a href=\"https:\/\/news.gov.bc.ca\/releases\/2025PREM0018-000403\" title=\"\">news release<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Understanding project designation under the Act<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The following sections describe how the Act supports faster project delivery by explaining project categories, the designation process, and tools available to designated projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"#categories\" title=\"\">Project categories<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#designation\" title=\"\">Designation process<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#tools\" title=\"\">Tools enabled through the Act<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"categories\">Project categories<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Act lets the government choose (or \u201cdesignate\u201d) certain infrastructure projects as either:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Category 1: Provincial Capital projects<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Category 2: Provincially Significant projects<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Once a project is chosen, it can use tools from the Act to help speed up the review and approvals process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"c1\">Provincial Capital (category 1) projects<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Provincial Capital projects are big building or upgrade projects, like schools, hospitals, or other important community infrastructure. The government will set rules to decide which projects to include. The government can also group Provincial Capital projects\u2014like building several schools\u2014 into a \u201cclass of projects\u201d. This helps those projects move through the permitting process more efficiently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To be eligible as a Provincial Capital project or class of projects, the work must be done by:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Ministry of Infrastructure<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li> School districts<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Universities, colleges<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Health authorities<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Other parts of government, like the Ministry of Transportation and Transit<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>These projects might include hospitals and cancer centres, long-term care homes, schools and post-secondary facilities, student housing, and other provincially significant infrastructure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"c2\">Provincially Significant (category 2) projects<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Provincially Significant projects are important to the whole province. They are led by:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Crown corporations (such as BC Hydro)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Local governments<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>First Nations<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Private entities<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The Minister of Infrastructure will look at each project and decide if it meets the <a href=\"\/infrastructure\/eligibility\/#eligibility\" title=\"\">requirements to become a Provincially Significant project<\/a>. If it does, the Minister will suggest it to the government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-engagement-section\" style=\"margin-left:0%;margin-right:0%\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"designation\">Designation process<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Once a project is chosen (\u201cdesignated\u201d) as <a href=\"\/infrastructure\/tools\/#c1\" title=\"\">Provincial Capital (category 1)<\/a> or <a href=\"\/infrastructure\/tools\/#c2\" title=\"\">Provincially Significant (category 2)<\/a> government would choose which tools it will use from the Act. Information about each designated project and the tools in the Act that will be used will be made public.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The process that the government will follow for designating Provincial Capital and Provincially Significant projects is described below. While this process is the same for both, they are different project categories and have different eligibility requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After it approves the project and finalizes the rules, the government shares the details online. This will include information about the project and which tools it will use under the Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-engagement-section\" style=\"margin-left:0%;margin-right:0%\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-bcgov-card-container lg-break-3\" id=\"card-container-00979c2e-1aa9-4d46-bd0d-7f448e54ebce\" style=\"background-color:transparent\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-bcgov-card align-none\" style=\"background-color:#8ed1fc;color:inherit\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 1<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Minister of Infrastructure made aware of a project (Provincial Capital or Provincially Significant) or class of projects (Provincial Capital only) that is underway and requires use of tools enabled through the Act<\/p>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-bcgov-card align-none\" style=\"background-color:#7bdcb5;color:inherit\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 2<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Project or class of projects is assessed against eligibility requirements<\/p>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-bcgov-card align-none\" style=\"background-color:#8acc93;color:inherit\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 3<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If government approves, the project or class of projects (Provincial Capital only) is designated as a Provincial Capital or Provincially Significant with tools assigned under the Act, and designation information is made public<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"tools\">Tools available in the Act&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Act has several tools &#8211; that are still in development &#8211; to help move projects forward faster. These tools are only accessible to projects that are chosen (\u201cor designated\u201d) as <a href=\"\/infrastructure\/tools\/#c1\" title=\"\">Provincial Capital (category 1)<\/a> or <a href=\"\/infrastructure\/tools\/#c2\" title=\"\">Provincially Significant (category 2)<\/a>. The sections below group these tools into different areas. Each section has two tools that help speed up planning and approvals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Important<\/strong>: These tools do <strong>not<\/strong> reduce the quality of environmental and safety standards, or First Nations consultation requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-engagement-section\" style=\"margin-left:0%;margin-right:0%\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-bcgov-card-container lg-break-3\" id=\"card-container-97ec665c-1bc7-445d-8e19-6881843dda70\" style=\"background-color:transparent\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-bcgov-card align-none\" style=\"background-color:transparent;color:#313132\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Provincial Permits<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Designated projects go to the front of the line for permit reviews<br><br>Let qualified experts make some low-risk decisions instead of waiting for  provincial permit approval<\/p>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-bcgov-card align-none\" style=\"background-color:transparent;color:inherit\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Environmental Assessments<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Designated projects can follow a new, faster environmental assessment process &#8211; without lowering B.C.\u2019s high environmental standards or First Nations consultation requirements<br><br>Once a project receives an Environmental Assessment Certificate, some low-risk provincial permits can be issued automatically<\/p>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-bcgov-card align-none\" style=\"background-color:transparent;color:inherit\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Local Government\u202fApprovals<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Local governments can ask the province to temporarily postpone land use planning rules, like updates to their official community plans, to avoid delays on projects<br><br>A new legal process that helps local governments and project proponents reach agreements to speed up local government approvals<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The\u202fInfrastructure Projects Act (Act) is a new law in British Columbia that helps speed up the delivery of major public infrastructure\u2014like hospitals, schools, and long-term care homes\u2014so communities can get the services they need, faster. You can read more about the Act in our news release. Understanding project designation under the Act The following sections &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/engage.gov.bc.ca\/infrastructure\/tools\/\" role=\"presentation\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\" >Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3671,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":4,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2672","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/engage.gov.bc.ca\/infrastructure\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2672","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/engage.gov.bc.ca\/infrastructure\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/engage.gov.bc.ca\/infrastructure\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/engage.gov.bc.ca\/infrastructure\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3671"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/engage.gov.bc.ca\/infrastructure\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2672"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/engage.gov.bc.ca\/infrastructure\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2672\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4512,"href":"https:\/\/engage.gov.bc.ca\/infrastructure\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2672\/revisions\/4512"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/engage.gov.bc.ca\/infrastructure\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2672"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}