Ottawa, on the traditional, unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg Nation — September 24, 2026 – On September 21, 2026 the Government of Canada tabled Bill C-39, the Building Canada Strong Act for its first reading. If passed this bill will allow the federal government to create designated regions of ‘national interest’ and fast-track major projects (such as ports, railways, mineral developments and more), allowing them to be approved without the previous review time and consultation period required, as well as making significant changes to collective bargaining which critics argue will greatly impact workers and unions’ right to strike.

Projects built in these proposed “zones of national interest” will be treated as such and therefore exempt from multiple laws and regulations (potentially including laws to protect at-risk species), and would be able to start construction before receiving all the necessary permits – although the federal government maintains that these exemptions would be rarely enacted and ‘very limited’ such as minor research being performed on a site or other preparatory work. The bill would also affect the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada by removing the need to review these major projects (e.g. pipelines and power transmission lines) in the effort to build them ‘more efficiently’.  

The introduction of Bill C-39 has inevitably raised concerns with several climate justice organizations, environmentalist groups and Indigenous communities, mainly due to the shortening of consultation periods and the ‘side-stepping’ of various environmental laws to get projects started. Many critics believe that the shortening of the necessary consultation periods will not allow the government to meaningfully engage with those affected by these proposed projects or assess potential environmental impacts. 

The federal government states that this Act will allow the country to build major projects at a faster pace and bolster the economy with ‘nation-building projects’. They have also claimed that the necessary environmental assessments and obligations to Indigenous Peoples and land-defenders will be met even as consultation periods are shortened. But seeing past failures of the federal government to uphold climate goals and sustainability assurances (such as the current climate lawsuit filed by Canadian youth the federal government is facing), many are unconvinced of these promises. 

The team at Shake Up The Establishment calls on the federal government to uphold its commitment to meaningful consultations with all those who may be affected by proposed major projects and conduct thorough assessments of environmental impacts and risks associated with them. 

“After all the work this summer by environmental and community organizations to extend the consultation timeline and provide thorough feedback on timely decision-making for major projects, to see the federal government steamroll their desired changes without any consideration for this feedback is incredibly concerning. Shorter decision-making periods and the reduced number but increased power of decision-makers in assessment and permitting processes will allow for the premature construction of high-emitting projects like pipelines, without full comprehension of their environmental and public health impacts. Communities across the country are working to recover from the summer’s wildfires, smoke, and heatwaves, all of which are made more intense and more frequent by the emissions generated by these major projects. It is an injustice to communities that the federal government’s first move upon sitting for the fall session was to introduce a piece of legislation that further delegitimizes environmental and community concerns as a decision-making factor.” — Anna Huschka (she/her), Director of Policy at Shake Up The Establishment.

The fast-tracking of projects via national interest designation must not be used as a way to shirk their duty to provide each Canadian with the Right to a Healthy Environment, continue to Advance Environmental Justice and Address Environmental Racism, and create a sustainable future for all.

Read SUTE’s feedback on timely decision-making for major projects: ShakeUpTheEstab.org/major-projects-decision-making-feedback/ 

Shake Up The Establishment (SUTE) is a national nonprofit advancing intersectional environmental and climate justice by fostering civic participation and youth leadership, driving systemic change through non-partisan policy advocacy, and shifting public narratives through creative, arts-based campaigns. We centre collaborative, community-led solutions for just, equitable, healthy, and sustainable futures. 

For more info, visit ShakeUpTheEstab.org.

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Elaine (she/her), Chief Operations Officer at SUTE, elaine@ShakeUpTheEstab.org