Delivered-project costs
Among the 10 delivered projects with comparable cost records, 8 exceeded their approved budget.
Canadian megaproject research
Understanding recurring delivery problems and the practices proposed to improve decisions on major projects.
Why this research matters
Major projects shape Canada’s transport, energy and public services, and Canada is entering a period of heavy investment in large projects. Before committing to the next generation, it is worth asking what the last one teaches. SPICE examines project records to understand recurring problems and possible responses.
This website presents the research findings and methods. The main SPICE website at the University of Alberta provides the centre’s mission, team and contact information. Visit the main SPICE website.
SPICE Series No. 001
Breaking the Pattern: What Three Decades of Canadian Megaprojects Reveal about the State of the Industry
The report examines 30 Canadian projects: 26 within 1996 to 2026 and 4 historical comparators. Of these projects, 22 have been delivered or are operating. Comparisons cover the 10 delivered projects with comparable cost records and the 12 delivered projects with a documented target date.
Publication is announced before the end of 2026. The report is not yet available to download.
View the report announcement Explore the interactive findingsDelivered-project schedules
Among the 12 delivered projects with a documented target date, 10 reached that milestone six months or more late. The median delay is 16.5 months.
Documented problems
The 30 reviewed projects contain 183 documented entries: 179 problems and 4 constructive partnerships.
These findings describe the reviewed projects. They do not represent a national performance rate. 30 project-and-issue combinations remain unresolved, and observed associations do not establish cause.
Three ways to examine the evidence
Compare up to three projects, trace the links between problems and proposed practices, or examine costs and delays in 2D and 3D. Each view keeps the comparison groups and their limits visible.
Explore the research
Methods and limits
How projects, sources and comparisons were selected.
Reviewed projects
The projects included in the report and their records.
Problems and responses
The documented problems and proposed practices for responding to them.
Canadian infrastructure in view
Bridges, railways, roads, ports and energy infrastructure form part of the systems that connect communities. These photographs show context examples; they do not define the report’s 30 selected projects.
Bridges across the St. Lawrence
Energy infrastructure in Saskatchewan
Québec waterfront
Rail construction in Alberta
Road infrastructure in Ontario
Electricity transmission in Ontario
