Ottawa Releases List of Companies Lending Staff

The list names banks and provincial governments whose employees have been working with the federal major projects office.

Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Utilities

Ottawa Releases List of Companies Lending Staff

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The federal government released a list of private sector companies that have lent staff to the major projects office, after initially refusing to disclose it. The list was first reported by The Toronto Star, and a copy was obtained by The Canadian Press.

Why it matters

Conservative and Bloc Québécois MPs pressed for months for the list, citing concerns about conflicts of interest in a federal office overseeing major national projects. The disclosure gives Canadians a clearer view of which institutions are involved in shaping those decisions.

The list shows nine employees from the Bank of Montreal, two from RBC, one from Scotiabank, four from the Government of Yukon, and one each from British Columbia and the Northwest Territories. The release does not address whether any conflicts of interest exist.

The players

Tim Hodgson

Tim Hodgson is Canada's Federal Energy Minister, who dismissed calls to release the list of companies lending staff to the major projects office.

Bank of Montreal

The Bank of Montreal is one of Canada's largest banks, and it had the greatest number of employees on the list, with nine staff lent to the major projects office.

RBC

RBC, formally Royal Bank of Canada, is one of Canada's largest banks, with two employees listed as lent to the major projects office.

Scotiabank

Scotiabank, formally The Bank of Nova Scotia, is a major Canadian bank, with one employee listed as lent to the major projects office.

The details

Federal Energy Minister Tim Hodgson dismissed calls for the list last week before the government released it. Major projects office officials said their employees are not in conflicts and were cleared by Privy Council Office human resources.

Last week: Tim Hodgson dismissed calls for the list.
November 10, 2026: The Canadian Press published its report on the list's release.

Industry Dynamics

The disclosure bears on the Conflict of Interest Act, which governs federal public office holders, and on the question of how private-sector secondments into federal offices are overseen. Canada's major projects office is designed to speed approvals for large infrastructure and resource initiatives, which makes the origin of its staff a live policy question.

For Canadians, the disclosure shows which financial institutions and provincial governments are involved in federal project decisions that can affect infrastructure costs and approvals. Residents in Yukon, British Columbia and the Northwest Territories can see that their provincial governments have staff working in the federal office.

The takeaway

Staffing arrangements between private institutions and federal offices deserve scrutiny, and the list is a first step toward public accountability. Readers can follow whether the government addresses the conflict concerns raised by MPs.