Prof. Bob Gibson urges the federal government to assess the benefits, risks and uncertainties of proposed national interest projects openly and thoroughly before granting pre-approvals.
Prof Bob Gibson presents background on regional assessments taking place for the Ring of Fire area – the northern Ontario’s hot prospect mining area improbably named after a 1960s Johnny Cash song.
Despite all the hurry-up moves, the extent and timing of any Ring of Fire mining remains anyone’s guess.
Republishing an article published in The Conversation written by SERS professor Robert Gibson.
Amendments to Canada's Impact Assessment Act are being drafted in response to a Supreme Court ruling in October 2023 where a majority of justices concluded that some aspects of the federal Impact Assessment Act reached too far into provincial jurisdiction. Drafting amendments to Canada's Impact Assessment Act will be a difficult assignment. Officials need to respect Canada's Constitution and also apply new knowledge and act on new imperatives. Challenges include not only bringing the laws into constitutional compliance but also meeting 21st-century needs for assessments and decision-making in the lasting public interest.