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AFN Chiefs Reject Ottawa’s Fast-Track Major‑Projects Reforms

The unanimous decision raises pressure on the government to lock in constitutional consultation safeguards before a planned October meeting with premiers.

National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak delivers an address at the AFN 2026 Annual General Assembly, in Ottawa, on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak delivers an address at the AFN 2026 Annual General Assembly, in Ottawa, on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
The Assembly of First Nations holds a water walk across the Ottawa River on Monday, before beginning its annual general assembly in Ottawa.
Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty rises during Question Period on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Thursday, June 18, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

Overview

  • AFN delegates voted unanimously Wednesday to oppose federal reforms that would speed approvals if those changes weaken environmental protection, cut short consultation or sidestep Indigenous rights.
  • Chiefs singled out government proposals such as a one-year cap on reviews, a new Crown Consultation Hub, sequential permitting and removing Impact Assessment Agency reviews for some pipelines and nuclear projects.
  • Delegates criticized the federal clean water bill C-37 for removing explicit recognition of a First Nations right to safe drinking water and pushed a resolution demanding that right be written into law.
  • AFN leaders confirmed the Prime Minister’s Office has set an Oct. 26 meeting with the prime minister and premiers and said ongoing engagement and possible legal action will be used if final laws fail to protect Section 35 consultation duties.
  • The fight is urgent because Ottawa has already referred 16 projects to the Major Projects Office and named three initial national-interest projects — the Mackenzie Valley Highway, the Grays Bay Road and Port, and a proposed deep geological nuclear waste site — creating real economic and environmental stakes and dividing some First Nations on how to respond.