In early June 2025 the federal government tabled the One
Canadian Economy Act (referred to as "Bill
C-5") to expedite nation-building infrastructure
projects and reduce interprovincial trade barriers. Bill C-5
received royal assent shortly thereafter on June 26,
2025.1
Bill C-5 enacts two new pieces of legislation:
(1) the Building Canada Act, which aims to
"urgently advance" infrastructure projects which serve
the national interest, including energy projects; and
(2) the Free Trade and Labour Mobility in Canada Act,
which seeks to eliminate federal barriers to the interprovincial
movement of goods, provision of services, and movement of
labour.
This article considers the key elements of the new Building
Canada Act, including the designation of national interest
projects.