Coalition says the federal government can and must protect Canada’s natural heritage, uphold Indigenous rights and ensure major projects serve the public interest.
Vancouver | Traditional, unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) AND səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) First Nations — More than 30 civil society and environmental organizations are calling on Prime Minister Mark Carney and his cabinet to immediately withdraw legislative exemptions that could put Canada’s endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales at risk. The groups warn that the government’s approach to major projects threatens the country’s natural heritage, climate commitments, and democratic future.
In a joint letter to the Prime Minister, the organizations welcome the federal government’s decision not to amend the Species at Risk Act (SARA) but state that if the government is serious about protecting endangered species, it must also eliminate the power to cause their extinction under the Building Canada Act.
The decision to not weaken SARA followed a nationwide public outcry over proposed reforms outlined in the Major Projects Office discussion paper, Getting Major Projects Built in Canada. But the groups say the threat to the Southern Resident Killer Whales, an iconic and endangered population found along the Pacific coast, remains.
If the government lists the West Coast Oil Pipeline and Roberts Bank Terminal 2 as Projects of National Interest under the Building Canada Act (C-5), federal approvals under SARA could be deemed granted upfront, bypassing individual safeguards against jeopardizing species’ survival or recovery.
The groups are urging the government to act on its commitment to protect species at risk like the Southern Resident Orcas by immediately removing SARA from Schedule 2, Part 1 of the Building Canada Act and to abstain from listing the West Coast Oil Pipeline and the Roberts Bank terminal expansion as Projects of National Interest so it can undergo rigorous assessment.
“Section 73 of the Species at Risk Act is the last line of protection for species on the verge of extinction,” said Anna Johnston, Staff Lawyer at West Coast Environmental Law. “The Building Canada Act lets Cabinet do an end-run around that protection. The Carney government needs to recognize that some prices are too high to pay, and extinction is one of them.”
The groups are also demanding the repeal of the Regulations Amending the Physical Activities Regulations and a return to rigorous, independent environmental assessments for major projects, including pipelines and other energy infrastructure.
The organizations warn that weakening environmental review to build pipelines would expose communities, waters and coastal ecosystems to potentially catastrophic spills in addition to worsening climate-related disasters such as wildfires and floods. They say existing regulatory processes, including reviews under the Canadian Energy Regulator Act, are insufficient to assess these risks and ensure meaningful public and Indigenous participation.
“Canadians value nature and wildlife. It’s one of the things that unites us across the country. New polling finds that PM Carney’s plans to weaken environmental and species protections to fast-track pipelines, ports and other destructive megaprojects are deeply unpopular with Canadians,” says Julia Levin, Associate Director of National Climate at Environmental Defence Canada. “A trade war is not justification to sacrifice what we hold dear about Canada. Once nature is gone, we don’t get it back.”
” In 2018 and again in 2024, Canada concluded that Southern Resident killer whales faced imminent threats to their survival. Twice, the government declined an Emergency Order, arguing that existing measures could protect the whales. Today, the whales remain in crisis—and despite its commitments, Canada is moving forward with decisions that risk turning the Salish Sea into a sacrifice zone where Southern Residents will no longer have a future. That is nothing less than a path to extinction. ” Beatrice Frank, Georgia Strait Alliance.
The organizations say responsible economic development must protect biodiversity, respect Indigenous rights and uphold Canada’s climate and legal obligations. Tens of thousands of Canadians have voiced opposition to measures that would weaken environmental safeguards.
“Another oil pipeline and port terminal in the Fraser River Estuary cannot be built without severe impacts on the Southern Resident Orcas’ chances for survival and the salmon they depend on. The Carney government knows this, which is why it wants these unpopular projects to skirt environmental laws that protect our species at risk. Let’s be clear: moving ahead with designating these projects in the national interest is not creating administrative efficiency; it is deliberately choosing to drive Canada’s iconic orcas closer to extinction to increase the profits of wealthy investors,” says Muhannad Malas, Director of Law Reform at Ecojustice.
“Canada’s future is not only dependent on the speed at which projects are approved, it depends on whether governments protect the lands, waters, species and shared identity that make the country worth building,” said Marc-André Viau, Director of Government Relations at Equiterre.
Background
New polling released on September 16 finds that a majority of respondents oppose weakening environmental protections to fast-track pipelines and megaprojects and would be less likely to vote for a government MP if the government proceeds with plans to approve major projects without assessing their environmental impacts.
ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.
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