Building Canada strong through Bill C-5

With Bill C-5, the Building Canada Act, our country is sending a message: we’re ready to build responsibly and at scale, but only if we do it together. Major project owners must be prepared to act swiftly and with purpose, investing not just in materials but in relationships. The complexity is real, the timing is tight and the stakes are high—but with alignment across government, industry, Indigenous communities, investors, contractors and everyday Canadians, we can turn obstacles into stepping stones.

The trust inherent in genuine collaboration is powerful, yet building and maintaining relationships across sectors demands considerable time and resources. Failure to invest in these partnerships could mean that the benefits envisioned by Bill C-5 remain out of reach, and ambitious projects stall before their potential is realized.

This helps explain why the majority of the initial selections of “Projects of National Interest” (PONIs) are well advanced, with good economics and less need in the way of ongoing government involvement. They are indicators, models of what “nation-building” in this new era should look like, a means to initiate momentum. Going forward, we expect the level of challenge involved only to grow, and with that will come even greater need for shared purpose—and shared commitment.

Designed to break down barriers and accelerate the approval of ambitious infrastructure, resource, and energy projects across the country, Bill C-5 is more than a new law—it’s a bold invitation.

As organizations look to the future, the benefits of Bill C-5 are both practical and profound:

• It streamlines approval processes for major projects, reducing administrative bottlenecks and providing greater predictability for proponents.
• It clarifies timelines and expectations, empowering stakeholders to plan with confidence and allocate resources more efficiently.
• It encourages early and meaningful engagement with Indigenous communities and the public, fostering transparency and trust from the outset.

All told, Bill C-5’s framework incentivizes collaboration, partnership and innovation, ensuring that projects move forward with a shared sense of purpose. By balancing streamlined processes with rigorous environmental and social standards, Bill C-5 aims to ensure that growth is both responsible and inclusive—provided that developers take the lead on building critical alignment and making the investments necessary to accelerate project development.

But let’s be clear: Bill C-5 isn’t a magic wand. It doesn’t guarantee a project’s success or wave away the need for careful planning, Indigenous consultation, public engagement or adherence to rigorous environmental standards. It also isn’t a “free ride” and doesn’t replace the hard work of building consensus, the sustained activity necessary to keep projects on the PONI list, or the responsibility to act with integrity. What it does offer is a smarter, more efficient framework—one that rewards readiness, partnership and vision.

Put another way: as promising as Bill C-5 may be, it isn’t without its share of challenges and potential pitfalls. For starters, streamlining approval processes, while intended to reduce delays, risks oversimplifying the realities of major project development.

That’s because the legislation’s ambition to clarify timelines and expectations hinges on effective coordination—any breakdown in communication between stakeholders and rightsholders could result in confusion, missed deadlines or conflicts that derail progress. We’ve seen this before. After all, Bill C-5 isn’t the first attempt to streamline approval processes over the past couple of decades—historically with limited success.

Moreover, the essential requirement for early and meaningful engagement with Indigenous communities and the public introduces its own set of complexities. If consultation is approached as a mere checkbox rather than genuine dialogue, trust may erode and opposition may intensify. Designating a project as “of National Interest” could inadvertently sideline local concerns. And there remains the risk that prioritizing expediency could overshadow the careful planning and consensus-building needed for truly sustainable growth. To make it across the finish line, projects will do well not only to have met consultative requirements but also to have embraced Indigenous ownership structures, governance models and co-development.

Major projects in Canada have long faced multiple regulatory requirements and the need to earn and maintain social license among diverse stakeholders. With Bill C-5, the nation is called to build more quickly and efficiently, without sacrificing responsibility. This will take not only vision but also an understanding of everything involved—how to unite disparate interests, accelerate project timelines and secure lasting success for both people and planet. KPMG can help with that.

Implementation demands flexibility. Achieving alignment between government, industry, Indigenous groups and the broader public is essential to transforming obstacles into opportunities for consensus and shared progress. Effective investment and financing frameworks are necessary to give projects the stability they need for long-term impact. In short, governments can remove barriers; it’s up to developers to lead and drive progress to successful outcomes.

Ultimately, nation-building is an adventure—a bold journey fueled by shared aspirations and the courage to work shoulder to shoulder. As Bill C-5 heralds a new era of efficiency and opportunity for our country, we are reminded that our greatest achievements come when we build bridges—of steel, of understanding and of hope.

The Building Canada Act gives us a roadmap; KPMG can help chart the course.

So let’s move forward, not as separate stakeholders, but as teammates. It matters less where we start than that we’re willing to work together to finish strong. With the right partners and a spirit of unity, we can create not just new infrastructure, but a future in Canada defined by courage, cooperation and enduring strength.

Together, we can build a Canada that stands as a testament to what is possible—if we believe in ourselves, and in each other.