New Ontario legislation to speed up critical infrastructure development projects

The Government of Ontario announced the introduction of the Protect Ontario by Unleashing Our Economy Act, 2025. If passed, this comprehensive legislation would cut the red tape and duplicative processes that have held back major infrastructure, mining and resource development projects, including in the Ring of Fire.

According to the government, by streamlining approval processes while maintaining robust environmental standards, the province will unleash the economic potential of its critical minerals to make the province’s economy the most competitive place in the G7 to invest, create jobs and do business.

“The maze of bureaucracy, red tape and duplicative processes holding back our economy means that a single mining project can take 15 years to be approved,” said Premier Doug Ford. “In the face of current Ontario-U.S. trade tensions, it can no longer be business as usual. We are cutting red tape to unlock our critical minerals and unleash our economy to create new jobs and opportunities in the north and across the province.”

The current permitting and authorization processes for mining and major infrastructure projects require proponents to navigate a complex process of overlapping and duplicative approvals from multiple ministries and levels of government. The Protect Ontario by Unleashing Our Economy Act, 2025 would streamline this process to minimize delays, lower costs and set service standards for government review times, in order to simplify and speed up the approvals process. The province will maintain its robust environmental standards throughout, while also fulfilling its constitutional obligations to Indigenous communities, including the duty to consult.

“When it comes to protecting our province and country’s economic sovereignty from President Trump’s attacks, it cannot be business as usual,” said Stephen Lecce, Minister of Energy and Mines. “We are unveiling a bold plan that ensures Canada is self-reliant, economically independent, and seizing every opportunity to grow our economy and stand on our own two feet. That is why we are taking decisive action to protect Canada’s natural resources from foreign adversaries, and our intent is to reduce government review time by 50 per cent to get shovels in the ground. Accelerating responsible resource development — from clean energy to critical minerals projects — creates a generational opportunity that will transform our country into a true energy superpower.”

Key measures in this legislation include:

• Create authority to designate special economic zones to help advance projects of provincial importance and security where proponents meet rigorous operating, safety and environmental standards. Projects that meet these standards will benefit from streamlined requirements, accelerated permitting and priority access to services such as the new One Project, One Process model.

• Accelerating mining development in every part of the province through a new One Project, One Process permitting model that streamlines approval processes across government to one process, with the intent of reducing government review time by 50 per cent. This will be accomplished by introducing binding service standards for government review time for any designated project to deliver predictability and accountability. The government would continue to fulfill its duty to consult Indigenous communities throughout this process.

• Speeding up housing, transit, infrastructure and other projects impacting certain species by adopting a “registration-first” approach to project approvals. Instead of waiting up to two years for species permits, proponents will be able to proceed as soon as they register and meet the requirements. This practical approach maintains strong environmental protections by establishing clear, enforceable rules for businesses to follow, with tough fines for non-compliance.

• Establishing a new Species Conservation Program to support the valuable work of species experts and community-based conservation initiatives across the province. Through this program, the government will make up to $20 million available for species conservation efforts annually — more than four times the current amount.

• Saving businesses money by eliminating registration fees for the Environmental Activity and Sector Registry. The change is expected to save regulated businesses about $2.6 million annually.

• Protecting critical mineral resources from bad actors by proposing authorities to restrict the registration or transfer of mining claims, deny a lease, cancel a mining claim registration or terminate a lease, on the basis of protecting the strategic national mineral supply chain.

• Building a secure energy grid by restricting access of foreign state-owned or based companies while streamlining the permitting process to get projects built faster.

“Mining doesn’t just impact Ontario’s north. The critical minerals contained in the Ring of Fire are essential ingredients for a host of sectors and businesses located in the Toronto region, from auto and aerospace manufacturing, to pharmaceuticals and advanced manufacturing. By streamlining the approval process for new projects, the Ontario government has taken bold action to capitalize on our strength in critical minerals—an essential step toward ensuring economic and energy security and driving innovation and business growth across the province,” said Giles Gherson, president and CEO, Toronto Region Board of Trade.

Featured image: (Government of Ontario)