Latest news with #BillC5
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Opinion: In the race to build infrastructure, we can't forget to build trust
Since the United States brought a trade war to Canada, the country's had a new sense of economic urgency. We heard about it in the federal election and we saw it — before Canada Day — when the government passed Bill C-5, which aims to tear down internal barriers between provinces and clear the way for projects in 'the national interest.' But there's an old adage in business, made popular by author Stephen Covey: 'You can only move at the speed of trust.' Ultimately, this factor may determine how quickly Canada can get its economic house in order. At its most basic, trust is the precondition for human exchange, including commerce. In more advanced forms, trust can be a set of standards, qualifications or requirements that create a shorthand or assurance for certain practices: think safety codes or medical training. Though essential, these systems rely on bureaucracy, which in time can become so layered with rules and process that they begin to slow everything down. Commitments to reduce internal trade barriers between our provinces are a recognition that these standards and systems need to work together in order for our domestic economy to work properly. For that reason alone, Canada's Bill C-5 marks a pivotal moment for us to get moving again. The Constitution, and treaties between the Crown and Indigenous nations, are also meant to make trust tangible: to guarantee a range of rights, continuity, resources and so on. When he met First Nations chiefs in July, Prime Minister Mark Carney had to acknowledge that when trust is in short supply, or was previously broken, shared vision and agreement will be slow to form. No matter the urgency, undermining the principles of Indigenous rights, environmental considerations, or provincial jurisdiction will only delay projects and further undermine trust. Meanwhile, the business community also has trust issues. Flip-flopping governments, and the pancake-stack of jurisdictional regulations create redundant and sometimes contradictory rules, consultation requirements, or varying standards that all have a cost. Project permits and approvals can delay projects by over 15 years. By that time, the project may no longer be viable because of inflation, easier opportunities elsewhere, or investors who long ago left the country. Canada remains the second-least productive nation in the G7, and among the slowest for permit approvals in the OECD. Many parents and grandparents sense that our standard of living is declining: the next generation will not have the same opportunities or personal well-being they enjoyed in their time. To turn that around requires the conviction to focus on our economy and to 'build big things,' as C-5 proposes to do. If that's the goal, it makes sense to start with the 'big pieces' we already have. The Canadian Chamber's Business Data Lab found that the natural resource sector (from oil and gas, to agriculture, to critical minerals) generates $377 billion in annual exports 'accounting for nearly 50 per cent of Canada's merchandise exports, and a $228 billion trade surplus … (while its) productivity is 2.5 times greater than that of the overall economy.' To expand our trade in such commodities requires the bridges, rails, ports, pipes and grid connectivity that allow us to move the 'big pieces' of our economy across the country and around the world. Jack Mintz and Philip Cross, in their paper titled Canada's Resource Sector: Protecting the Golden Goose, write: 'Leveraging our current energy and other resources to create new products like hydrogen, carbon fibres, metals, potash and minerals, agricultural products, and other potential manufactured innovations remains a key to Canada's success. Further, given that an energy transition requires considerable time, we should take advantage of the demand in the world market for fossil fuels, especially natural gas as a transition fuel.' There was another big milestone this Canada Day that shows this is possible: the first shipment from the LNG Canada terminal in Kitimat, B.C., in the territory of the Haisla Nation. Chris Cooper, the company's chief executive, has rightly called this 'the launch of a new industry in Canada' — a brand-new product on our sales sheet. At $40 billion, LNG Canada is the largest private sector investment in Canadian history, and will contribute nearly $8 billion a year to Canada's coffers. 50,000 Canadians were involved in the project, which only started construction in 2019, including 25,000 workers employed on the Coastal GasLink pipeline project that supplies the terminal. The company has invested tens of millions in workforce development and long-term housing in Kitimat, Terrace, B.C., and local First Nations communities. Coastal GasLink will also provide product to the nearby Cedar LNG project, supported by the federal government and majority-owned and led by the Haisla Nation. Haisla Nation Chief Councillor Crystal Smith said it best: 'When LNG Canada first came to our territory over a decade ago, they, unlike so many others, chose to build a relationship first before even considering building a project…. So much has changed for our community since that first meeting. Our people, our country and the world are better off today, and will be for decades to come.' Opinion: Why this year's G7 summit in Canada could be the most important one yet Jack Mintz: Canadian exporters are facing a triple-whammy Big projects like this show us that it's not just transactional trade infrastructure we need to build in Canada. If we do it right, and with urgency, the real nation-building project we may be starting is the possibility of a new trust between provinces, the federal government, Indigenous peoples and the business community. Matthew Holmes is chief of public policy at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
CTV News
6 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Carney to talk major projects with Inuit leaders in Inuvik
Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks during the First Nations Summit at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Que., on Thursday, July 17, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby INUVIK — Prime Minister Mark Carney will meet with Inuit leaders today to discuss his government's controversial major projects legislation. The meeting of the Inuit-Crown Partnership Committee will be co-hosted by Natan Obed, president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, in Inuvik, N.W.T. Obed says Inuit have many questions about Bill C-5 and are hoping the meetings provide clarity on the role they play in a single Canadian economy. The recently passed One Canadian Economy Act gives Ottawa the power to fast-track projects it deems to be in the national interest by sidestepping environmental protections and other legislation. Indigenous leaders have accused the federal government of failing to consult with them adequately when the legislation was being drafted and amended, and Carney has promised to hold talks with First Nations, Inuit and Métis leaders to get input on how projects can proceed. After Carney met with First Nations leaders in Ottawa last week, some chiefs said they were left with more questions than answers and no clear idea of how the government plans to implement its agenda. In a video posted to social media Wednesday, Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty said the meeting is a forum for discussing how to move projects forward in a mutually beneficial manner while respecting Inuit sovereignty rights. Aaron Sousa, The Canadian Press -- With files from Alessia Passafiume in Ottawa This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 24, 2025.
Globe and Mail
6 days ago
- Politics
- Globe and Mail
Carney to meet Inuit leaders to discuss Bill C-5
Prime Minister Mark Carney is set to meet with Inuit leaders Thursday to discuss the government's major-projects legislation, a gathering that is expected to be different in size and tone than last week's summit with First Nations. Mr. Carney will co-chair the Inuit-Crown Partnership Committee, which includes Inuit leadership and federal ministers and meets regularly to discuss key issues. Along with the controversial Bill C-5, the committee is expected to discuss Arctic sovereignty and security, as well as housing and infrastructure. The summit, where Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami president Natan Obed is the other co-chair, is the second of three meetings Mr. Carney promised on Bill C-5. Part of the legislation allows the federal cabinet to deem projects to be of national interest and then exempt them from various laws in order to speed up approvals and construction. Indigenous communities have voiced concerns about the law, saying they are not against development but are concerned the legislation may impact their treaty rights. The government says Indigenous groups who may be affected by proposed projects will be fully consulted at key stages. Thursday's meeting will be relatively small. The committee makeup varies, but tends to have fewer than 20 people, compared with the hundreds who attended the First Nations meeting last week. As well, the four Inuit regions in Canada have all signed comprehensive land-claim agreements, known as modern treaties. Why First Nations are clashing with Ontario and Ottawa over bills aimed at speeding up megaprojects The third meeting, with Métis, will take place on Aug. 7, according to the Métis National Council. Inuvialuit Regional Corporation chair and chief executive Duane Ningaqsiq Smith, who represents Inuit living in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region of the Northwest Territories and Yukon, said he wants to hear what Mr. Carney has to say about the implementation of Bill C-5, including how he plans to work with Indigenous governments. There are already specific processes in place under his modern treaty for aspects such as procurement, he said, where the organization is working with various federal departments. Mr. Smith said he would like to see those processes enhanced. 'It's their treaty just as much as it is ours, so they have an obligation to live up to it and implement accordingly,' he said in an interview. 'I can't speak for the other regions, but for my region, we're prepared to hear the Prime Minister out in regards to how they would look to begin to implement that act and work proactively with us.' Mr. Smith said his region is looking to recognize the potential opportunities of Bill C-5, while also respecting Inuit rights. His organization is building a gas plant and developing a local well, which he said would provide energy security for the region. It may not meet the national-interest level, he said, but he wants to speak to Mr. Carney about it. Overall, Mr. Smith said he is 'cautiously optimistic' about the meeting. It's a chance to raise concerns about various issues, including gaps in basic services such as internet and health care. Professor Gary Wilson, chair of the political science department at the University of Northern British Columbia, said it will probably be easier for the federal government to manage its relationship with Inuit as a whole on Bill C-5, compared with First Nations, given there are fewer people involved. Inuit also tend to be more united, Prof. Wilson said in an interview, while First Nations have a lot of diverse views. Opinion: Mark Carney's 'build, baby, build' aspirations face a challenge from Indigenous leaders Unlike First Nations, all of the Inuit regions have signed modern treaties, he added, which provide more certainty over land use and economic development. For example, treaties include different categories of land that come with different rights, he said. While there are still issues around the government not respecting the treaties, policy disagreements and addressing past wrongs, Prof. Wilson said he thinks relations between Inuit and the federal government have been better since the creation of the Inuit-Crown Partnership Committee in 2017. 'I get the sense that Inuit are anxious to work with the government,' he said. Mr. Obed told senators in June that Bill C-5 risks creating the conditions for treaties to be infringed upon. He urged Parliament to take its time with the legislation, but it was passed in under a month. 'It creates the possibility of national interest projects ending up before the courts, with litigation causing significant delays in the national interest projects moving forward,' he said. Given that, Bill C-5 'may end up creating instability and ultimately undermining investor confidence, slowing the pace of investment needed in Inuit Nunangat,' he said, referring to the Inuit homeland.
CTV News
7 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Report raises questions about First Nations ownership in major projects
People rally against Bill C-5 on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Tuesday, June 17, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang OTTAWA — A new think tank report is questioning how the federal and provincial governments' sprint to build major infrastructure projects might affect Indigenous Peoples' rights — and warns that it could end up pitting Indigenous communities against each other. The report by the Yellowhead Institute, 'Buried Burdens,' takes a look at major projects through a case study of the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission Project and the Ksi Lisims facility in B.C., which are expected to transport millions of tonnes of gas per year. Owned in part by the Nisga'a Nation, the project has seen staunch opposition from other First Nations communities that did not approve or consent to it. The Yellowhead report, released this week, comes amid a countrywide push to rapidly launch major projects, including pipelines, to shore up the economy against U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war. The recently passed One Canadian Economy Act gives Ottawa the power to fast-track projects it deems to be in the national interest by sidestepping environmental protections and other legislation. Governments have been encouraging First Nations leaders to support such projects through loan guarantees and promises of financial incentives. But many First Nations leaders fear their ways of life could be irreparably harmed if governments evade environmental standards. 'Right now, the narrative is full speed ahead on resource development,' said Hayden King, a member of Beausoliel First Nation who serves as Yellowhead's executive director. 'Increasingly, that includes Indigenous partners, but there's not a lot of discussion on the dynamics of investing in projects like these, and there's a risk that has to be considered … 'First Nations are not necessarily the ones merely impacted by these developments, but they're being encouraged to invest in these projects, to be partners in these projects and grant social licence to enable these projects.' Some provinces have enacted laws similar to the One Canadian Economy Act, including Bill 5 in Ontario, now the subject of a court challenge by nine First Nations. And in B.C., Premier David Eby's government passed Bills 14 and 15 — pieces of legislation meant to ramp up energy and infrastructure development that have come under fire from First Nations. Prime Minister Mark Carney has frequently pointed to Indigenous participation in major projects as a means to ensure their success and prevent delays. He has pointed to the $10 billion Indigenous Loan Guarantee Program as proof of Ottawa's commitment to ensuring Indigenous communities have a meaningful stake. The report challenges that argument altogether, calling it an 'industry-driven narrative.' 'While there are potential benefits from participating in equity ownership when compared to shorter-term impact benefit agreements and service contracts, there are also greater risks,' the report says. 'This particular philosophy of 'economic reconciliation' imagines Indigenous communities regaining control of their economies, aiming for self-sufficiency, sustainability, and self-determination. This is an industry-driven narrative that presents resource extraction as the singular pathway to achieve these ends.' That narrative, the report says, could also cause rifts between Indigenous communities that support specific projects and those that do not. 'While uncomfortable, conflict and disagreement are part of Nation-to-Nation relationships — and always have been. However, it is equally important to recognize that in true Nation-to-Nation relationships, the self-determining rights of one Nation cannot supersede the inherent rights of another,' the report says. King said potential conflicts between pro-development communities and those more hesitant lends itself to conversations about the kinds of development that align with their values. But that conversation is also about rights, King said, and how courts will strike a balance among First Nations who don't see eye-to-eye on project proposals. 'Let's not have the courts decide the answers to those questions, but let's actually work through diplomacy and figure those out on our own terms, using our own Indigenous law,' he said. King said that discussion should 'feed back into the conversation about what kind of economy … we want,' pointing to the pre-contact economies that once sustained Indigenous Peoples. 'We had these economies, and still do to a degree. So what would it look like to reimagine those, and rearticulate them in the face of the narrative that we only have one option, which is resource development?' he said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 23, 2025. Alessia Passafiume, The Canadian Press
CBC
23-07-2025
- Business
- CBC
Ottawa's major projects law won't affect the N.W.T. much, premier says
N.W.T. Premier R.J. Simpson says he expects Bill C-5, passed into law last month as the federal Building Canada Act, to have a limited effect in the territory. Simpson says the territory's resource regime implements modern treaties that can't be easily sidestepped without consultation. "That is not modified by Bill C-5, and for the most part there will be no effect by Bill C-5 in the Northwest Territories," he said. The major projects legislation contains a list of federal acts that can be "overridden or modified," but the Mackenzie Valley Resources Management Act is not one of them, according to Simpson. It's a federal piece of legislation, a modern treaty document, and it's constitutionally protected, he said. "It's not the kind of thing that the federal government can just ignore or change on a whim," he said. However, the Inuvialuit region is an outlier, where the new federal act's effects are still being determined, said Simpson. First Nations leaders met Prime Minister Mark Carney in Ottawa last week for a summit on the Building Canada Act, which allows cabinet to expedite project approvals and bypass environmental laws. Later this week, Carney will be in Inuvik, N.W.T., meeting with Inuit to talk about how the legislation can be implemented consistent with Inuit land claims agreements and in partnership with Inuit. The bill became law on June 26 and is intended to improve Canada's economic position in the face of U.S. President Donald Trump's squeeze on trade relations. With growing federal interest in Northern projects, Simpson said N.W.T. residents need to find a way to build a road to the Arctic Ocean, and move ahead on the Taltson hydro expansion project, and the Mackenzie Valley Highway project. "At this point, we are the only ones who are going to be standing in our way," he said. Asked whether the new legislation might drive developers toward more deregulated environments in the provinces, Simpson said N.W.T. has not received the same level of investment as the rest of Canada, over generations. "It shows in the strength of our economy and the diversity of our economy," he said. 'We are not against development' Dene National Chief George Mackenzie is among several leaders who met with Carney last Wednesday and Thursday. Mackenzie says First Nations in the N.W.T. want ownership stakes in the projects Ottawa deems to be in the national interest and he expressed optimism that the prime minister will rise to the task. "We are not against development, so that is very clear ... The question is, what does this word 'national interest' mean? That word 'national interest' makes us nervous," said Mackenzie. "If these projects are gonna go ahead, the treaty people — the treaty holders, Dene Nation as a whole — has to take an equity position and be the owners of those projects," he said. Dehcho Grand Chief Herb Norwegian said the Dehcho region contains immense riches that could meet Canada's demand for critical minerals, but if Canada wants to extract resources from areas currently under interim land withdrawals, it needs to get First Nations' consent, he said. "You want to fast track your access? Well, let's fast track negotiations," Norwegian said. With a northerner — N.W.T. MP Rebecca Alty — now the minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, Norwegian expects movement on the Deh Cho final agreement. In a scrum Thursday, Alty said "national interest projects" are those which " advance the interests of Indigenous peoples," and that "we can't advance every project." N.W.T. can be example, premier says Simpson said that despite the limited impact the new federal legislation will have in the N.W.T., he wants the territory's nation-building projects noted and paid for, especially the Arctic security corridor to bring telecommunications and energy infrastructure from the North Slave region to the Northwest Passage. He said Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, whose government is determined to bring its oil to international markets, is also supportive of the security corridor. The N.W.T.'s environment minister is still in talks with Alberta about water and potential downstream impacts of oil and gas expansion, he said. "We're affected by everything that they do that comes downstream, but we also have a good working relationship with them," he said. Simpson says other regions may be looking to the N.W.T. as an example of how to uphold and implement modern treaties through a streamlined environmental assessment process, and seek Indigenous ownership behind future projects.
