Shake Up The Establishment’s Feedback on Timely Decision-Making for Major Projects
Earlier in the summer of 2026, the Government of Canada opened a public consultation on proposed legislative changes intended to “support timely decision-making for major projects.” These proposed changes include amendments to impact assessment and decision-making processes, establishment of federal economic zones, and overall shortening of federal decision-making timelines. The consultation occurred from May 8 – July 22, 2026, and a What We Heard report summarizing the feedback received is anticipated to be published before the end of 2026.
Shake Up The Establishment’s Key Recommendations
Shake Up The Establishment submitted our policy brief on July 21, 2026, containing the following recommendations:
1. The government must provide transparent, accessible explanations of how the proposals will be implemented.
a) The government must allow for project operations to be delayed or shut down at any point throughout construction, should impact assessments and additional monitoring processes identify concerns and impacts.
b) Information about assessment and permitting processes must be offered in languages beyond English and French.
c) The government must establish a singular website or resource that clearly lays out how decisions for major projects are being made.
d) There must be some requirements to assessment processes (i.e. community consultations) that cannot be adjusted by the Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Nature.
e) The government must better integrate the rights of nature and multispecies justice into their decision-making processes, particularly through the guidance of Indigenous Knowledge Systems.
2. The pre-existing and newly proposed decision-making roles and bodies throughout assessment, permitting, and regulatory processes must prioritize the needs of communities and ecosystems.
a) The Minister of One Canadian Economy should not be able to make adjustments to “environmental conditions for projects in the national interest.”
b) There needs to be thorough integration of environmental experts throughout decision-making processes.
c) The role of the Consultation Hub must be adjusted to better support communities throughout engagement processes.
3. The Government of Canada must not proceed with the establishment of federal economic zones.
a) The conditions for pre-approving zones must be made publicly accessible and be consulted upon by Indigenous, local, and scientific experts.
4. The government must not proceed with their proposed decision-making timeline reductions.
a) The government needs to lay out that “deadlines will not change Canada’s duty to consult Indigenous communities or fulfill obligations under modern treaties” in all legislation they introduce, amend, and/or pass to implement the proposals under consideration.
5. Across all decision-making processes, the government must prioritize community health over corporate interests.
6. Environmental justice must be considered in all government decision-making for major projects.
a) The government must prioritize new projects that are environmentally sustainable and do not put communities’ health and rights at risk.
7. The Government of Canada must uphold their legal obligations to consult Indigenous Peoples in a robust and meaningful way.
a) The Government of Canada must centre deep relationship-building with Indigenous Peoples in a way that honours Indigenous sovereignty and self-determination, and prioritizes reconciliation.
8. The Government of Canada needs to clearly specify who is taking issue with longer and more thorough decision-making processes.
a) There must be multiple, accessible consultations with communities who may be impacted by any major project.
b) The federal government must outline how it plans to secure just consultation processes where the needs, concerns, and wellbeing of diverse Canadian communities are prioritized.
