Friday, December 19, 2025
Ontario and Canada have signed a cooperation agreement that will significantly streamline environmental approvals for major infrastructure and resource projects through a new ‘one project, one process, one decision’ model that is now in effect.
According to both governments, the agreement will remove duplicative and overlapping federal impact assessments from Ontario’s environmental assessment process to build infrastructure faster and unlock resource development across the province.
“With this historic agreement, our two governments are working together to protect Ontario and Canada by removing the unnecessary red tape and regulatory duplication that has stood in the way of nation-building projects for too long,” said Premier Doug Ford. “I want to thank Prime Minister Carney for his leadership in speeding up major projects that will create good-paying jobs, build a more competitive and self-reliant economy and help us unlock the enormous economic opportunity of the Ring of Fire.”
Under the ‘one project, one process, one decision’ model, a project that would have previously been subject to both a federal impact assessment and a provincial environmental assessment will now only be subject to Ontario’s environmental assessment process. Doing so will streamline regulatory processes, shorten review timelines, bring certainty to project proponents and help to attract more investment into Ontario’s economy. The agreement also includes a side letter between both levels of government where the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada commits to completing its review of the assessment of the roads to the Ring of Fire no later than June 2026.
“Canada’s new government is focused on what we can control — building a stronger, more sustainable, more independent Canadian economy,” said Prime Minister Mark Carney. “Our agreement with Ontario will build major projects faster, helping to diversify our trade partners, strengthen our industries and empower more Canadians with high-paying careers. We are building Canada Strong, and we’re building bigger and faster together.”
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