Friday March 6, 2026 | OTTAWA, ON
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
A draft Co-operation Agreement between Alberta and Canada on Environmental and Impact Assessment was issued today by the prime minister and the Alberta Premier.
The draft agreement will be consulted on for a twenty-one-day period, as stated in a new release from the prime minister’s office. Comments made be provided online.
This builds on similar agreements completed between the Government of Canada and the governments of British Columbia, New Brunswick, and Ontario.
Delivering quickly on the commitments in the Canada-Alberta Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed last November by Prime Minister Mark Carney, and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, this further agreement would bring a “one project, one review” approach to major infrastructure initiatives in Alberta.
The federal government says today in a news release that the new agreement would will create a more streamlined assessment process that delivers major projects faster, reinforces strong environmental protections, and ensures the rights of Indigenous communities are respected.
“Canada and Alberta are focused on what we can control: building a stronger, more sustainable, more competitive economy together,” said the prime minister’s news release today, following on the continued theme of trade diversification both domestically and abroad.
“At this pivotal global moment, a new Co-operation Agreement will enable the conditions necessary for infrastructure, including pipelines, rail, power generation, and a strong and integrated transmission grid,” says Carney in today’s release.
Regional nod:
“Together, we are unlocking and growing natural resource production and transportation in Western Canada to position Canada as a leading destination for investment,” it was stated, introducing the idea of regional interests (i.e. Western Canada) by of course realizing that British Columbia needs to be looped into much of what would be seen as progress for Alberta.
Relying on Alberta:
When a proposed project is primarily within provincial jurisdiction, Canada will recognize Alberta as best placed to undertake an assessment and will rely on Alberta’s environmental assessment or regulatory processes to assess the effects of the project.
Timeline:
Any impact assessment determined to be required under this agreement will be completed within a maximum of two years from receipt of the initial project description.
===== RELATED:
- Carney and Smith sign pipeline MOU to facilitate economic growth (November 27, 2025)
- Carney supports Alberta’s interest for a pipeline through northern BC (November 23, 2025)