CALGARY, May 8, 2026 – Business Council of Alberta (BCA) today expressed strong support for the federal government’s proposed reforms to Canada’s major project approval and regulatory review system, calling the announcement a major step toward restoring investor confidence and unlocking the investment capital Canada needs to compete globally.
“These reforms are both meaningful and significant, sending the right signal to investors at a critical time in our country,” said Adam Legge, President of Business Council of Alberta. “Canada has an opportunity to help the world and generate prosperity but our current major project review processes have too often meant delay, uncertainty, and lost investment. We are encouraged to see the federal government moving decisively in the right direction.”
The proposed changes, including moving toward a lifecycle regulator model where the regulator with the deepest expertise in a project type leads the review from start to finish and pursuing a true ‘one project, one review, one decision’ standard, reflect core recommendations BCA put forward in its From Barriers to Breakthroughs series, released in March 2026.
Continued Legge, “Much of what the government is proposing today is thoroughly aligned with the recommendations of industry laid out in From Barriers to Breakthroughs. We are glad to see them gaining traction at the federal level.”
BCA noted that the government’s target to reduce review timelines to one year would meaningfully improve Canada’s competitiveness relative to the United States.
BCA encouraged government to consider additional changes including:
- Focusing reviews on only the largest and most material project-specific impacts.
- Hard timeline limits with meaningful accountability mechanisms to ensure they are met.
- Guaranteeing proponents can receive all necessary federal permits concurrent with a final review decision.
- Reducing the volume of conditions attached to project approvals by ensuring they do not duplicate existing regulatory requirements.
“The direction is right,” Legge said. “Now the work is in the details and the implementation. BCA looks forward to participating in the consultation process and affirms our support for the proposed changes to make Canada the most attractive global destination for investment.”
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About the Business Council of Alberta
Business Council of Alberta is dedicated to building a better Alberta within a more dynamic Canada. Composed of more than 130 chief executives and leading entrepreneurs of the province’s largest enterprises, Council members are proud to represent the majority of Alberta’s private sector investment, job creation, exports, and research and development. BCA is committed to working with leaders and stakeholders across Alberta and Canada in proposing bold and innovative public policy solutions and initiatives that will make life better for Albertans. www.businesscouncilab.com