Muhammad Amanullah
Date: September 25, 2026 The True Post (Web News) —OTTAWA: Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government has introduced legislation aimed at significantly speeding up federal reviews and approvals for major projects, while also proposing changes to labour relations and worker protections.
Known as the Building Canada Strong Act, Bill C-39 is part of the federal government’s broader economic strategy to attract investment, strengthen infrastructure, expand trade corridors and reduce regulatory delays at a time when Canada is facing increased economic uncertainty.
The legislation was introduced on September 21 as Parliament resumed its autumn sitting. The government describes it as a major reform of Canada’s project-approval system, while its broader implications for environmental reviews, Indigenous consultation, labour relations and federal decision-making are likely to remain subjects of parliamentary debate. (Canada)
What Is Bill C-39 Designed to Do?
One of the central elements of Bill C-39 is a proposed one-year timeline for federal project reviews and decisions.
Under the proposed system, the clock would begin once a project proponent has submitted a comprehensive application and completed the required studies and information for impact assessment and permitting.
The government says the current system can involve multiple reviews, consultations and decisions by different federal departments, creating duplication and uncertainty. Bill C-39 would seek to coordinate those processes and move toward a single federal decision for applicable major projects.
The government describes the principle as “one project, one decision, one year.” (Canada)
Faster Approvals for Major Projects
The proposed changes would affect the way federal departments and agencies coordinate assessments and permits.
A lead federal assessor, depending on the project, could coordinate the review process. The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada, Canada Energy Regulator or Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission would have defined roles for projects within their respective areas of expertise.
The government says the objective is to allow different federal assessments to take place concurrently rather than sequentially.
For applicable projects, a single federal decision document could bring together impact-assessment and permitting requirements, with enforceable conditions and mitigation measures.
However, the one-project, one-decision approach would not apply identically to projects regulated by the Canada Energy Regulator or Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. Those projects would follow separate coordinated processes involving the relevant lifecycle regulator. (Canada)
Does the One-Year Deadline Remove Environmental Reviews?
The government says it does not.
According to the legislation’s accompanying explanation, the one-year timeline would begin only after proponents provide a comprehensive application and finalise the studies and information required for assessment and permitting.
The government says the period would still include environmental assessment, Indigenous consultation, public consultation, identification of potential impacts, mitigation measures and final federal decisions.
It also says the proposed changes would maintain Canada’s environmental standards and the federal duty to consult Indigenous Peoples.
The legislation would allow timelines to be extended or suspended where necessary to complete Indigenous consultations. (Canada)
That distinction is important because the debate surrounding Bill C-39 is not simply about whether projects should be approved faster. It also concerns how speed, environmental protection, consultation and regulatory oversight will operate together under the proposed system.
Why the Government Wants Faster Construction
The legislation comes as Ottawa seeks to encourage investment in Canada and strengthen the domestic economy.
The government says lengthy and overlapping approval processes can make projects more expensive and create uncertainty for investors. It argues that greater predictability could help attract capital and accelerate projects involving energy, natural resources, transportation infrastructure and trade corridors.
The government has also linked the legislation to a broader strategy of diversifying Canada’s economy and strengthening supply chains.
A separate Cabinet Directive issued alongside the legislation instructs federal departments to work toward completing project reviews and decisions within one year, while maintaining environmental protections and respecting Indigenous rights. (Canada)
Trade Corridors and Ports
Bill C-39 is not limited to environmental and project approvals.
The government also proposes measures aimed at strengthening Canada’s transportation and trade infrastructure.
These include formally designating strategic trade corridors, addressing transportation bottlenecks and establishing a Transportation Projects Office to coordinate priority transportation projects.
The legislation also proposes changes to port governance and measures intended to support digital trade and reduce administrative barriers.
The stated objective is to help Canadian goods reach domestic and international markets more efficiently and strengthen the country’s supply chains. (Canada)
Labour Relations Become Another Major Issue
The second major component of Bill C-39 concerns federally regulated workplaces.
The legislation proposes amendments to the Canada Labour Code, particularly in relation to collective bargaining and dispute resolution.
The government says the changes would encourage earlier engagement between unions and employers, expand mediation and dispute-resolution tools, promote good-faith bargaining and strengthen labour-management relationships.
According to the government, approximately 95 per cent of labour disputes in federally regulated sectors are resolved without a work stoppage with assistance from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.
The proposed reforms are therefore aimed primarily at the smaller number of disputes that become particularly difficult or could have wider effects on businesses, communities and supply chains. (Canada)
Debate Over Ministerial Powers
One of the more politically sensitive aspects involves the federal government’s existing authority to intervene in exceptional labour disputes.
Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code currently gives the federal labour minister certain powers to take measures intended to maintain or restore industrial peace.
Bill C-39 proposes a clearer framework for using those powers in exceptional cases where a dispute could have significant national consequences.
The government says the purpose is to create a more transparent process for dealing with disputes that could have effects beyond the immediate union and employer involved.
At the same time, the issue raises questions about the balance between government intervention, collective bargaining and the right to strike. The government’s legislation explicitly states that its broader labour reforms are intended to protect collective bargaining and the right to strike. (Canada)
New Worker Protections
The labour provisions also contain measures aimed at strengthening workplace protections.
The government plans to add 100 health and safety officers, which it says would increase inspection capacity by approximately 70 per cent.
It also proposes adding 26 staff to the Canada Industrial Relations Board to help address complaints and backlogs involving workers and employers.
Additional measures would target worker misclassification and strengthen enforcement of employment protections. (Canada)
These provisions are being presented by the government as part of a broader effort to ensure that faster economic development is accompanied by workplace protections.
What the Consultations Found
The legislation followed months of consultations with workers, unions, employers, Indigenous organisations and other stakeholders.
The federal government said consultations identified broad support for improving the efficiency of the labour relations system, while also highlighting concerns about complex disputes and the need for targeted rather than sweeping changes.
A September government report said participants had different perspectives but identified a need to modernise labour relations tools while maintaining effective collective bargaining. (Canada)
Earlier consultations had also examined possible changes involving strike and lockout mandates, grievance arbitration, wage theft, worker misclassification and the use of Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code. (Canada)
A Broader Test for Carney’s Economic Strategy
Bill C-39 is closely connected to the Carney government’s wider economic agenda.
The government has argued that Canada needs to build infrastructure faster, strengthen domestic supply chains, expand trade opportunities and attract investment in an increasingly uncertain global economy.
From that perspective, reducing regulatory duplication is being presented as a way of making Canada more predictable for investors.
But the legislation also places several policy objectives alongside one another: faster approvals, environmental protection, Indigenous rights, infrastructure development, worker protections and stable labour relations.
The practical challenge will be determining how those objectives operate together once the proposed framework is applied to specific projects and disputes.
Parliament to Debate the Details
With Bill C-39 now before Parliament, its provisions will face further legislative scrutiny.
The government has presented the legislation as a way to help Canada build major projects more quickly without abandoning environmental standards or Indigenous rights.
Opposition parties, labour organisations, environmental groups and other stakeholders may continue to examine how the proposed timelines and new authorities would operate in practice.
The outcome of that debate will help determine whether the legislation produces the faster approvals and greater investment certainty sought by the government while maintaining the consultation and oversight mechanisms that accompany major projects.
For now, Bill C-39 represents a significant attempt by the Carney government to change how Canada approves major infrastructure and resource projects while simultaneously updating the federal labour framework.
Its broader significance will depend not only on how quickly projects move through the approval system, but also on how the new rules balance economic development, regulatory oversight, Indigenous consultation, environmental protection and workers’ rights.
