Alberta signed a federal co-operation agreement on project approvals on April 2, joining a growing group of provinces advancing more coordinated review processes. Manitoba followed on April 14, bringing the total to seven.
These agreements are designed to address one of the most consistent complaints about major energy projects in Canada: that they get stuck moving through two separate review processes, one provincial and one federal, adding time and uncertainty. The goal is one process instead of two, and the scope covers pipelines, power lines, LNG terminals, and mines.
Each agreement is tailored to the province.
In Alberta, the federal government can now rely on the province’s own regulatory system for projects primarily within provincial jurisdiction.
Ontario’s agreement targets critical mineral development in the Ring of Fire, allowing provincial environmental assessments to fulfill federal requirements in certain cases.
In Atlantic Canada, Nova Scotia and PEI have adopted more flexible models that allow projects to move through either a provincial process or a coordinated federal-provincial review depending on the project. Newfoundland and Labrador released a draft agreement on April 1, currently open for public comment until April 28.
In Manitoba, the intent of the agreement is to reduce duplication and accelerate timelines for major infrastructure, including trade corridors such as the proposed Port of Churchill expansion, which is expected to support resource exports and strengthen access to global markets.
One project, one review, and where we stand:
- Provinces who have signed on: British Columbia, New Brunswick, Ontario, PEI, Nova Scotia, Alberta
- Provinces in progress: Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador
- Provinces who have not signed: Quebec
CPW’s research found that 70 per cent of engaged women support accelerating regulatory processes to attract capital back to Canada, but only 23 per cent are confident that large projects will be approved and built on time. How these agreements perform when it comes to real projects will determine whether that confidence changes.