Only three provinces have yet to sign a cooperation agreement with the federal government for impact assessment. 

Ottawa had hoped to strike these “one project, one review” deals with all willing provinces and territories by the end of 2025. 

It recently reached agreements with Nova Scotia and Alberta, after having landed deals with P.E.I., New Brunswick, Ontario and B.C. 

The cooperation agreements all contain similar language and map out how federal and provincial governments will work together on projects that require assessments from both. 

The deals are part of a wider government effort to speed up project approvals. 

By working together, Ottawa and the provinces can reduce duplication, rely on each other’s processes if equivalent, and pool resources. 

Asked whether it hoped to reach agreements with the remaining provinces, a spokesperson for the federal Minister of the Environment told iPolitics that Canada will not negotiate in public to protect the integrity of the discussions. 

“We will have more to share in due course,” read the statement. 

Asked if progress was being made on reaching a deal, Saskatchewan said it continued to be in conversation with the federal government. 

“The Province of Saskatchewan is still the only carbon tax free jurisdiction,” it tells iPolitics in a statement. 

“We will continue to protect Saskatchewan producers and ensure that our industries remain competitive and drive sustainable growth.”

The province declined an opportunity to explain if or how these priorities conflict with cooperation on impact assessment.

Québec and Newfoundland and Labrador have not yet responded to a request for comment. 

Last fall, a source with knowledge of discussions at the Secrétariat du Québec aux relations canadiennes told iPolitics cooperation on impact assessment is complicated by disagreements over who retains final decision-making authority. 

Alberta framed its recent cooperation agreement with Ottawa as a win that restores provincial approvals on projects within the province’s jurisdiction. But all cooperation agreements recognize provinces are best positioned to carry out assessments in their own areas of responsibility.