Beyond C-5: Upcoming New Bill To Fast-Track Federal Approval For All Major Projects

Less than a year ago, Mark Carney’s government introduced Bill C-5 to enact the Building Canada Act¹ (the “BCA”). Assented to on June 26, 2025, this legislation is intended to accelerate the approval of major infrastructure and natural resource development projects deemed to be of “national interest” by the federal government, at the expense of the duty to consult and environmental protections. Despite strong opposition to the legislation from several Indigenous nations, the federal government now intends to go even further. On May 8, it announced a new series of legislative and regulatory reforms aimed at further transforming the federal review and approval regime for all major projects. Shortly thereafter, on May 14, 2026, the Carney government unveiled its “National Strategy for an Electrified Canadian Economy,” which seeks to double Canada’s electricity capacity by 2050. This article focuses on the new legislative and regulatory reforms expected imminently, as Canada has released