CALGARY – Ottawa will amend its Impact Assessment Act rather than appeal an Alberta Court of Appeal ruling that found parts of the revised law still intrude on provincial jurisdiction.On October 9, the Alberta Court of Appeal ruled 4-1 that the amended law overstepped provincial jurisdiction on resource projects, echoing a 2023 Supreme Court decision.A spokesperson for Environment Minister Julie Dabrusin told the Canadian Press the government would revise the legislation to address the latest ruling but provided no timeline for announcing the changes.Alberta government officials have hailed the outcome as a move toward faster project approvals, highlighting the proposed Pacific Link pipeline, which, if built, promises billions in investment as well as up to 140,000 construction jobs..“Alberta wins again. C-69 (the ‘no new pipelines’ law) was found unconstitutional by Alberta’s Court of Appeal yet again and the Federal Government has agreed not to appeal the decision,” Premier Danielle Smith said in a post on social media platform X on Thursday.“This will necessitate a major overhaul to the legislation that will result in the elimination of all federal interference in intra-provincial infrastructure projects. We will continue to stand up for Alberta’s provincial rights at every turn. And we will keep winning those battles.”.Energy Minister Brian Jean said the UCP government “will always fight for Albertans and stand up against federal overreach.”“This is a big win for Alberta. The federal government has aligned many of their energy policies and goals with Alberta and we are now all working to turn Canada into an energy superpower,” he said.
