Pressure Systems edition
Carney Fast-Tracks Curbs To Labour Strikes Courting Social Unrest
September 27, 2026
What this edition shows
Mark Carney’s administration is deploying Bill C-39 to fast-track resource corridors, pipelines, and nuclear projects under the mantle of national interest, transferring environmental review powers to industry regulators. In lockstep with this industrial push, the legislation grants Ottawa expanded authority to quash strikes across federally regulated sectors, sparking simultaneous backlash from organized labour and First Nations asserting territorial rights. As provincial utilities push gas plants and export terminals exceed flaring limits, the federal state is subordinating worker protections and Indigenous consultation to secure global infrastructure capital.
Reporting and analysis behind this edition 18 sources
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Carney’s Bill C-39 overhauls environmental reviews and Indigenous consultation
When the Liberals proposed overhauling major project approvals, the public worried it would concentrate power and infringe on Indigenous Rights. Now, pipelines and nuclear development will be reviewed by an energy agency, instead of environmental
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Carney's sweeping new bill sparks backlash over environmental rollbacks
The Liberal government’s proposed Building Canada Strong Act is facing pushback from political, environmental and labour groups. The bill aims to amend several laws to fast-track projects deemed in 'the national interest.'
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The West Coast Oil Pipeline is being pitched in the national interest. Where’s the evidence?
Before the federal government puts its full weight behind this supposedly critical piece of oil infrastructure, Canadians deserve answers to some basic questions.
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Carney’s war on workers would make the right to strike meaningless
Canadians elected a government that promised to defend the country from Trump and his politics. Now corporations are demanding limits on workers' rights — and Carney is expected to deliver The post Carney’s war on workers would make the right to strike meaningless appeared first on Ricochet.
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B.C. LNG plant in Kitimat still exceeding flaring limits
The Kitimat, B.C., liquefaction and export facility has exceeded permitted emissions levels since starting operations last year. Now, LNG Canada wants the government to increase how much it can flare until its systems can be redesigned in 2028
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Mi'kmaq communities push back on Nova Scotia gas plants
Government says proposed Nova Scotia power plants don’t trigger the duty to consult — but Mi’kmaq communities disagree, citing environmental concerns
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Canada is still settling First Nations claims dating back generations
Canada has paid billions to settle historical breaches of its obligations to First Nations. But hundreds of claims remain in a process lawyers and researchers say can take years to navigate
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As Nova Scotia pushes uranium, residents worry while industry shrugs
Amid the critical minerals rush, Nova Scotia lifted a four-decade uranium exploration ban last year. No mining company responded, but locals still worry
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Unions Slam Liberals’ Federal Labour Code Changes
The Canada Labour Congress says the legislation would let Ottawa break strikes.
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Canada must consider even unlikely threats — including an American invasion
Prime Minister Mark Carney says he has considered the possibility of American military action against Canada, and that the Canadian Armed Forces had examined potential responses. Such a scenario remains extraordinarily unlikely, but that’s precisely why it belongs in contingency planning. Serious go…
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Canada’s $1-trillion investment push promises growth — but raises questions about who benefits
The Canada Investment Summit, which concluded on Sept. 15, outlined the federal government’s plan to catalyze $1 trillion in investment in Canada over the next five years. The event brought together global investors managing more than $100 trillion in assets who have already committed nearly $500 bi…
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Canada’s proposed labour reforms could shift power away from workers in major disputes
The federal government’s newly tabled Bill C-39 would give Ottawa a more direct and explicit role in labour disputes in federally regulated sectors, changing how the government may respond to strikes and lockouts. The labour provisions are part of a larger piece of legislation aimed at strengthening…
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Labour bill will test limits of Ottawa's power to quash strikes, say experts
Labour experts say the Liberal government's latest major legislative push will test the limits of Ottawa's power to intervene in collective bargaining when economic interests are at stake.
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AFN regional chiefs to represent First Nations at meeting with Carney and premiers
Assembly of First Nations regional chiefs will join premiers and Prime Minister Mark Carney for a rare meeting in late October — the first such meeting between chiefs and first ministers in decades.
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What makes Canada strong? Empowered workers, healthy land and water and genuine reconciliation
Bill C-39 is a fight over regulatory rules, labour law, environmental assessment and Indigenous consultation. But it is also part of a larger political fight over what counts as the national interest in the first place.
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Why is Canada’s PM Carney not ruling out a possible war with the US
Trump’s annexation threats have prompted Carney to examine even remote risks to Canada’s sovereignty.
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How Canada Is Navigating Trump’s Threats
A conversation with Foreign Minister Anita Anand.
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Canada says proposed labour rules will reduce strike interventions. History suggests a more complicated picture
The Canadian government has introduced legislation that would change how labour disputes are handled in federally regulated industries, including proposed changes to the Canada Labour Code that are intended to help unions and employers reach agreements sooner and reduce economic disruptions. Bill C-…