The federal government has promised “one project, one review” to stop regulatory duplication between Ottawa and the provinces. A new article from the Canada West Foundation examines whether these co-operation agreements are actually delivering on faster approvals. For Alberta’s construction industry, approval timelines directly impact our ability to put skilled workers to work on the projects Canada needs. When regulatory processes drag, it creates uncertainty that affects workforce planning and our members’ ability to build the infrastructure that strengthens our economy. What are co-operation agreements? Co-operation agreements streamline the process between the federal government and provinces by letting the federal government either step out of the review process early if a project doesn’t affect federal areas, accept a province’s review instead of doing its own, or work with the province on one shared assessment. Before this push, only B.C. had a co-operation agreement. Now Ontario and New Brunswick have signed on, and several more provinces including Alberta are negotiating. The Results So Far Only two projects have been fully approved through federal assessment since 2019 – both LNG projects in B.C. One took 3.5 years and the other took 2 years. While this represents improvement over the previous system, both

Construction Labour Relations Alberta (CLRA) has launched Industry Insights, a new series of breakfast meetings designed to give board members, industry partners and stakeholders visibility into upcoming project priorities, policy developments and emerging trends shaping Alberta’s construction sector. CLRA plays a vital role in leading discussions and building partnerships within the industry to build awareness and help address these issues so every aspect of construction in this province benefits. The inaugural event featured Kendall Dilling, President of Pathways Alliance, who provided an update on the organization’s work supporting Alberta’s oil sands industry through the construction of carbon capture and storage projects. The Pathways Alliance carbon capture and storage network represents a major opportunity for Alberta’s skilled trades. Construction is expected to generate more than $16.5 billion in GDP and over 129,000 jobs, with $13.3 billion flowing into Alberta’s economy and $12.2 billion in labour income. Beyond the immediate construction activity, the network positions Alberta’s oil sands sector to remain globally competitive. The project helps establish Alberta as a leader in carbon capture technology that can serve other industries and be exported internationally, while generating economic benefits that fund healthcare, highways and transit infrastructure. Industry leaders heard from Mr. Dilling that

Alberta has shown resilience through a turbulent year and is expected to lead Canada with roughly 2% growth this year and next, according to the Business Council of Alberta’s Winter 2025 Snapshot. While this is modest growth, it shows the province’s strength during a challenging year marked by uncertainty over U.S. trade and tariffs. Alberta’s labour market has held up well despite these challenges. The province has added jobs at more than twice the national pace since January, with the unemployment rate dropping from 8.4% in August to 6.5%. Construction activity remains strong, with Alberta still building roughly twice as many homes as in 2019 and on track for a record year. However, the residential construction boom that drove much of Alberta’s growth is stabilizing as both population growth and housing markets return to more balanced levels. The recent Federal-Alberta Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) could open the door to real opportunities for the province. Many details still need to be worked out and challenges remain, but it signals the federal government’s renewed commitment to supporting Canadian workers and our economy. The MOU supports major infrastructure projects that could create significant construction opportunities, including a new pipeline capable of moving one