Interview | Hurdles Ahead For Canada's Low-Carbon Future

Canada is rapidly becoming a key destination for data centre investment, fueled by artificial intelligence and cloud computing growth. However, this expansion places unprecedented demands on electricity grids, water resources, and local communities. As federal and provincial governments introduce new frameworks to manage these resource challenges, developers and investors must navigate an increasingly complex landscape where power strategy...

Alberta's data centre sector has evolved from speculative interest into billions in committed investment, supported by a new regulatory framework and hyperscale commitments from Meta and AWS. However, grid capacity constraints, power procurement challenges, unresolved federal copyright issues affecting AI training workloads, and community concerns about environmental impacts present significant obstacles that require continued collaboration between industry, government, and regulators.

On December 11, 2025, Hydro-Québec announced that a new call for tenders for wind power projects will be launched in spring 2026 to meet Quebec's growing demand for electricity.

On September 3, the Government of Canada published amendments removing seven types of energy projects from the Physical Activities Regulations (the Project List) under the Impact Assessment Act (IAA). As a result, these types of projects will no longer be subject to the IAA but will continue to be regulated by the Canada Energy Regulator Act (CER Act) or applicable provincial environmental assessment regimes.

A new regulatory framework for measuring and monitoring the energy performance of Québec’s building stock took effect on July 8, 2026, under the Regulation respecting the mandatory reporting of the environmental performance of certain buildings (the “Regulation”).

Digital infrastructure operators in Ontario are capitalizing on Canada’s growing reputation as a premier data centre jurisdiction. Demand for grid access in the province has increased substantially, with an interconnection queue potentially reaching 10,000 MW. In response, on August 13, 2026, the province released its draft Data Centre Playbook (the “Playbook”).

Canada’s mining sector is at an important inflection point. Against a backdrop of growing global demand for critical minerals and increased competition for investment capital, the Canadian federal government has recently introduced a series of tax measures designed to encourage investment and strengthen the competitiveness of Canada’s mining industry. For investors, these measures may meaningfully influence the after-tax economics of projects and financing structures across the mining value chain.

The Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) has announced significant changes to its Long-Term 2 Request for Proposals, creating a dedicated stream for repowered facilities with a 1 terawatt cap.

A recent decision of the Ontario Energy Board addressed a series of issues arising from the acquisition and renovation of a building for office and storage purposes by Milton Hydro Distribution Inc...

Ontario's Ministry of Energy and Mines has proposed exempting electricity transmission projects procured by the Independent Electricity System Operator from the traditional leave to construct approval requirement. This regulatory change could significantly streamline the development timeline for bulk system transmission infrastructure, including the pending Toronto Third Line procurement, while maintaining environmental assessment and Indigenous consultation requirements.

On March 5, 2025, Canada published a Final State of PFAS Report finding that the entire class of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)...

The United States has escalated its trade dispute with Canada by imposing import bans on alcoholic beverages, dairy products, and motorcycles under Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930, while Canada responds with matched counter-tariffs on $27.6 billion worth of U.S. goods. Following the collapse of bilateral negotiations in August 2026, both nations have entered an unprecedented phase of trade restrictions that extends beyond traditional tariffs to include procurement exclusions and threatens further auto

A major U.S. vendor agreement has established a rigorous new AI safety standard for educational technology, prohibiting the use of student data for AI training and enforcing strict data minimization. While the standard does not directly bind vendors in Canada, Canadian school boards can leverage this precedent to demand equivalent contractual protections and strengthen their own AI governance frameworks.

The Supreme Court of Canada held its second annual ceremony marking the opening of the judicial year at its temporary home in the West Memorial Building, with Chief Justice highlighting the Court's increased caseload and architectural features. What significant constitutional and legal challenges will the Court address in its fall 2026 session, including cases on firearm regulations, Crown immunity, and vicarious liability?

The Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization’s (CIRO) proposed Incorporated Approved Person model could materially change how client-facing advisors structure their businesses and receive compensation with significant impacts to sponsoring firms. The proposed rule amendments, published on July 9, 2026, would introduce a harmonized incorporated compensation option for client-facing Approved Persons across CIRO regulated dealers. Comments are due November 6, 2026.

On July 2, 2026, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) published its updated Guidance on the Common Reporting Standard (Updated CRS Guidance).

The Government of British Columbia has published the Restricted Insurance Agent Licence Regulation, introducing a new restricted licensing framework...

In June 2022, Health Canada introduced new nutrition labelling regulations for prepackaged foods. A key feature of these regulations is the mandatory use of a front-of-package (FOP) nutrition symbol...

​The amendments to the Contaminated Sites Regulation, which take effect November 1st, 2017, will incorporate new soil, water, and vapour standards.

Since April 1, 2021, residential projects of at least 450 m² (about 5 units or more) in Montréal have been subject to the By-law for a Diverse Metropolis (the BDM).