The final cooperation agreement between Ottawa and Ontario spells out how both parties can move more quickly and efficiently on projects that require both federal and provincial approvals.
The agreement details how this can happen through a ‘harmonized’ or ‘substitution’ single assessment process. The latter means the province leads the assessments on behalf of both governments, and the former means Ontario and Ottawa jointly develop an assessment process and pool resources.
Ontario has repeatedly called on Ottawa to withdraw from assessments in the Ring of Fire region, and has hinted that the northwestern Ontario deposit could eventually be designated as a ‘special economic zone’ where the provincial cabinet has the power to waive or modify specific acts, regulations, and municipal bylaws.