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ARTICLE · 18 SEPTEMBER 2026

Amendments To The Physical Activities Regulations Consolidate Major Projects Review Process Under The Canada Energy Regulator

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On September 3, 2026, amendments to Canada's Physical Activities Regulations came into force, removing several project categories from federal Impact Assessment Act oversight and consolidating review authority with the Canada Energy Regulator. These changes eliminate overlapping federal review processes for international and interprovincial pipelines, electrical transmission lines, and certain energy facilities, aiming to streamline major project approvals while raising questions about Indigenous

CanadaEnvironment
Sharon G.K. Singh
Sharon G.K. Singh
Catherine Doyle
Catherine Doyle
Radha Curpen
Radha Curpen
Brienne Gloeckler
Brienne Gloeckler
August Meyer (Articling Student)
August Meyer (Articling Student)
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On September 3, 2026, amendments to the Physical Activities Regulations (the “Regulations”) came into force. The Regulations list the types and sizes of major projects that are designated for the purposes of the federal Impact Assessment Act (the “IAA”) and must undergo a federal impact assessment. In practice, certain projects designated under the Regulations, including international and interprovincial pipelines and electrical transmission lines, were also regulated by the Canada Energy Regulator (the “CER”) under the Canadian Energy Regulator Act (the “CERA”), resulting in overlapping federal review processes.

The amendments address this duplication by removing several project categories from the Regulations, such that those projects will no longer be subject to the IAA and will instead be assessed solely by the CER under the CERA. The amendments are part of the federal government’s broader aim to accelerate major natural resource and infrastructure projects and increase the

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