#provincial-rights

The Supreme Court of Canada has delivered a landmark opinion, finding the federal Impact Assessment Act largely unconstitutional in a major victory for Alberta and other provinces. The Court ruled that the 2019 law, often criticized as the "No More Pipelines" bill, improperly intruded on provincial jurisdiction over resource development. By focusing on a project's overall effects rather than those specifically within federal authority, the legislation created an unconstitutional overreach. The decision compels Ottawa to redraft its environmental review process, significantly altering the landscape for major energy and infrastructure projects across Canada.

The Supreme Court of Canada has delivered a landmark ruling, finding the federal Impact Assessment Act largely unconstitutional. In a 5-2 decision, the majority opinion stated that the 2019 law, known as Bill C-69, oversteps federal authority by infringing on powers exclusively granted to the provinces under the Constitution. The court found the Act's 'public interest' determination treated all major projects as inherently federal, regardless of their primary jurisdiction. This decision represents a significant victory for provinces like Alberta and Saskatchewan, forcing Ottawa to rewrite its environmental review legislation for major resource projects.