• Some of Canada's top scientists push for changes to Carney's new major projects bill

  Source: CBC Politics
  Date: 2026-10-22 08:00:00.0
  Tags: [National, British Columbia, Environment, Infrastructure, Energy, Governance]

  More than 50 fellows of the Royal Society of Canada published an open letter urging Parliament to make six significant amendments to Bill C-39, the Building Canada Strong Act. The 243-page bill aims to fast-track major energy and infrastructure projects by establishing a one-year review deadline and pre-approved regions of national interest, while amending over a dozen federal laws including those protecting species at risk, fisheries, and water quality. Scientists, including representatives from the University of British Columbia and Queen's University, warn that eliminating the five-year sunset clause from the original Building Canada Act (Bill C-5) and weakening environmental oversight could drive irreversible harm and species extinction, such as the endangered southern resident orca population. Federal ministers, including Dominic LeBlanc, defended the legislation before a special legislative committee, arguing that clearer timelines and robust oversight can coexist.

  Read Original

• C-37 (45-1) - First Nations Clean Water Act

  Source: Parliament of Canada (LEGISinfo)
  Date: 2026-10-09 13:20:48.0
  Tags: [National, Indigenous, Infrastructure, Environment, Governance]

  Bill C-37, titled the First Nations Clean Water Act and introduced by the Minister of Indigenous Services, has completed second reading and was referred to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs (INAN) on October 9, 2026. The legislation establishes a comprehensive federal framework regarding water, source water, drinking water, wastewater, and related infrastructure on First Nation lands. The bill builds upon previous class-action litigation settlements concerning safe drinking water in First Nations communities and is accompanied by a historic funding commitment and a departmental Charter Statement tabled on September 25, 2026.

  Read Original

• Liberal MP calls for more safeguards in new bill to fast-track development projects

  Source: CBC Politics
  Date: 2026-10-07 22:35:17.0
  Tags: [National, British Columbia, Infrastructure, Energy, Environment, Governance]

  Liberal MP Patrick Weiler publicly raised concerns in the House of Commons regarding Bill C-39, the Building Canada Strong Act, which grants the Carney government sweeping powers to fast-track major infrastructure projects like pipelines, mines, and ports within one year. Weiler flagged shortcomings including excessive ministerial discretion to exempt projects from environmental regulations, compressed timelines limiting Indigenous and public input, and provisions allowing preliminary construction before environmental assessments are complete. The legislation, overseen by Transport Minister and House Leader Steven MacKinnon, is being studied in the House of Commons via a rare legislative committee structure covering its more than 200 clauses. Environmental groups and labour unions have also pushed back against the bill, warning it threatens environmental protections, at-risk species like caribou, and labour standards.

  Read Original

• Canada led a 2022 deal to protect the world's nature. Has there been progress since then?

  Source: CBC Politics
  Date: 2026-09-29 08:00:00.0
  Tags: [National, Environment, Climate, Resources, Infrastructure, Governance]

  Following the 2022 UN COP15 biodiversity conference in Montreal where Canada helped broker a global agreement to protect 30 per cent of land and oceans by 2030, a new assessment reveals current commitments will likely achieve only 27 per cent of terrestrial and 12 per cent of marine protection. International biodiversity financing for developing nations currently stands at $1.1 billion US annually against the agreed $30 billion US target. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Mark Carney's federal government introduced Bill C-39, the Building Canada Strong Act, to fast-track environmental reviews and major resource projects, drawing criticism from environmental groups such as Greenpeace Canada and the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society regarding potential conflicts with domestic climate goals.

  Read Original

• Speed over species? What experts are saying about Ottawa's new major projects bill

  Source: CBC Politics
  Date: 2026-09-28 08:00:00.0
  Tags: [National, Environment, Infrastructure, Energy, Resources, Governance]

  The federal government has tabled Bill C-39, titled the Building Canada Strong Act, containing over 300 clauses designed to expedite major project decisions to one year in response to U.S. economic pressures. The legislation amends more than a dozen federal statutes, including the Species at Risk Act, the Fisheries Act, the Impact Assessment Act, and the Labour Code, while permanently removing sunset clauses from the temporary powers established under Bill C-5. Critics, including the Sierra Club Canada Foundation, World Wildlife Fund Canada, and Ecojustice Canada, warn that the bill weakens environmental safeguards by allowing preliminary construction before impact assessments are completed and granting broad ministerial exemptions for sensitive water bodies and wildlife habitats.

  Read Original

• Government exempts interprovincial pipelines from review by impact assessment agency

  Source: CBC Politics
  Date: 2026-09-09 21:44:12.0
  Tags: [National, Energy, Environment, Infrastructure, Resources, Governance]

  The federal government published new regulations in the Canada Gazette exempting interprovincial and international pipelines, transmission lines, offshore renewable energy projects, specific oilsands extraction projects, and fossil fuel-fired power generating projects from environmental reviews by the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada. These projects will instead undergo environmental assessments solely through the Canada Energy Regulator to streamline regulatory approval processes. The changes follow the passage of Bill C-5 after the 2025 federal election and are designed to reduce up-front legal due diligence and regulatory costs for major energy investments.

  Read Original

• Newfoundland and Labrador Signs Co-operation Agreement on Environmental and Impact Assessments with the Government of Canada

  Source: Newfoundland & Labrador - Government Releases
  Date: 2026-09-08 18:40:41.0
  Tags: [Newfoundland and Labrador, National, Environment, Climate, Infrastructure, Governance]

  The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Government of Canada signed a Co-operation Agreement on Environmental and Impact Assessments, announced by provincial Minister Chris Tibbs on behalf of Minister Andrea Barbour and federal Minister Joanne Thompson. The agreement implements a "one project, one review" framework to streamline environmental assessments, minimize regulatory duplication, enhance information sharing, and support Indigenous consultation for major projects. Similar to federal agreements established with British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia, this policy aims to accelerate infrastructure development and increase regulatory certainty for investors.

  Read Original