Canada–Ontario Infrastructure Acceleration and the Real Test of Economic Reconciliation
On December 18, 2025, the Government of Canada and the Province of Ontario announced a new agreement designed to accelerate the construction of major infrastructure and industrial projects by reducing duplication between federal and provincial impact assessment processes.
Framed as a “one project, one review” approach, the agreement is intended to unlock capital, shorten timelines, and improve Canada’s competitiveness. But beneath the administrative language sits a more consequential question:
Will faster approvals advance economic reconciliation with First Nations — or merely repackage old development models at greater speed?
Speed Is Not the Same as Progress
From an Indigenous economic perspective, regulatory delay has never been the primary obstacle. The deeper issue has been who controls the process, who benefits from the outcomes, and whether Indigenous Nations are positioned as partners or downstream participants.
Accelerated approvals can support economic reconciliation only if they are matched with clear recognition of Indigenous jurisdiction, early inclusion of First Nations in project design, and governance frameworks that survive political cycles.
Governance Is the Missing Variable
Economic reconciliation is not achieved through consultation checklists. It is achieved through governance alignment.
Projects fail when authority is unclear, when decision-making timelines are externally imposed, and when communities are asked to respond to near-final designs rather than co-create them.
Equity Determines Whether Reconciliation Is Real
Projects that offer jobs or short-term benefits without equity participation generate activity but not lasting economic power. Equity aligns incentives, extends time horizons, and creates intergenerational value.
Accelerated infrastructure development presents an opportunity to normalize Indigenous equity participation — but only if it is treated as foundational rather than optional.
