Prime Minister Carney will meet provincial and territorial premiers next week to discuss reducing internal trade barriers and building major national projects, including mining operations. The meeting addresses the ongoing threats posed by U.S. tariffs.
The federal government has briefed the premiers on a new law that aims to expedite project approvals deemed in the national interest. Ottawa wants to ensure project approvals happen within a two-year timeframe. The Major Federal Projects Office will oversee nationally significant projects as a single point of contact for private companies, provinces and territories, and Indigenous communities.
Governments must understand that expedited timelines alone cannot ensure project success. Consent from Indigenous parties plays an essential role.
This work is critical, and we hope the prime minister and premiers achieve success. However, governments must prioritize Indigenous partnerships and reconciliation. Indigenous people must not be treated as just another stakeholder. A recent RBC study revealed that close to three-quarters of the 504 major resource and energy projects planned or underway in Canada run through or lie within twenty kilometres of Indigenous territories.
The study also estimated Indigenous equity opportunities from these projects to be worth $98 billion over the next 10 years, with oil and gas projects representing $57.6 billion of that value.
These projects offer opportunities to unite the country in the spirit of national unity and economic reconciliation. However, mishandling them risks creating divisions.
Federal clarity is essential to prevent confusion over which projects qualify as being in the national interest. In an interview with CBC’s Power and Politics, the prime minister asked first ministers and private industry to provide Ottawa with a list of shovel-ready major infrastructure projects. He also stated that national interest projects include “pipelines that make sense,” clean energy grids, trade corridors, nuclear facilities, critical minerals, and carbon-capture facilities.
But whose sense determines which pipelines make sense? This statement raises concerns, compounded by Minister Steven Guilbeault’s recent dismissal of new pipeline projects and incorrect remarks about the Trans Mountain pipeline. The prime minister has yet to correct Guilbeault’s statements.
Indigenous communities and groups have expressed interest in pipeline projects, investing time, resources, and hopes for economic opportunity and trans-generational wealth in many LNG projects. The prime minister and premiers must acknowledge Indigenous communities’ rights to pursue the projects they choose.
Fast-tracking projects has stirred controversy in provinces like Ontario, British Columbia, and Nova Scotia, where governments have introduced legislation to expedite permitting and approvals. Indigenous communities in these jurisdictions have voiced concerns about bypassing Indigenous consultation or weakening environmental assessments. In Ontario, some Indigenous groups have even discussed protests and blockades, including on the level of the Idle No More protests.
Ontario Premier Ford amended the province’s bill to accommodate “Indigenous-led economic special zones.” Indigenous parties support fast-tracking projects, but they insist it cannot compromise their rights or meaningful involvement. The Ontario government has been dead set on expediting approvals within the Ring of Fire. First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities want to co-develop legislation alongside governments.
Surely, the prime minister and premiers will avoid actions that spark dissatisfaction and polarization during a time of national unity and renewed optimism in Canada’s resource economy. By collaborating with Indigenous parties, governments can secure resilient consent that sustains projects over their entire lifecycle.
Fast timelines are essential, but they cannot replace consent. Ensuring long-term community buy-in makes good business sense. At the meeting, the prime minister should emphasize Indigenous input and highlight successful examples of Indigenous partnerships, equity deals, and co-management proposals. These approaches deliver fast timelines, prevent duplication, and secure lasting Indigenous consent. Ultimately, all these elements must align to ensure the success of these vital projects.
More information on the Indigenous Resource Network can be found at their website: www.IndigenousResourceNetwork.ca.
John Desjarlais is executive director of the Indigenous Resource Network (IRN).
