From the Office of the Prime Minister April 14, 2026
The world is changing rapidly. In response, Canada’s new government is focused on what we can control. We are building a stronger, more independent, more resilient economy – an economy built on the solid foundation of strong Canadian industries and workers, bolstered by diverse international trade partners.That’s why Canada’s new government is diversifying our trade partnerships – securing more than 20 economic and security partnerships across four continents. To seize the full potential of these partnerships, Canada’s new government is partnering with provinces, territories, and Indigenous governments to build new ports, highways, and trade and energy corridors at speed and scale.Today, the Prime Minister, Mark Carney, and the Premier of Manitoba, Wab Kinew, announced the new Co-operation Agreement between Manitoba and Canada on Environmental and Impact Assessment.
This agreement will bring a “one project, one review” approach to major infrastructure initiatives in Manitoba. Canada and Manitoba will implement a streamlined and flexible assessment process that minimises duplication and delivers major projects faster while reinforcing strong environmental protections and upholding the rights of Indigenous Peoples. This ensures both governments can adopt the most effective assessment process on a case-by-case basis – either by relying on Manitoba’s process or by implementing a coordinated federal-provincial approach.The new Co-operation Agreement will help accelerate major infrastructure projects across Manitoba – getting shovels in the ground faster on projects like the Port of Churchill Plus. This project would modernise the Port of Churchill by advancing potential improvements, such as an all-weather road, rail line enhancements, a new energy corridor, and strengthened marine ice-breaking capacity. Together, these upgrades would establish a reliable trade corridor in the North, enabling Canada to export more resources to European markets. In September 2025, Canada’s new government referred this project to the Major Projects Office to help move it forward. Since then, the federal government has provided $500,000 to enable decision-making led by First Nations, the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, and the Manitoba Métis Federation, as well as the development of the Manitoba Crown Indigenous Corporation to help lead the project, while also working with the private sector through the MPO to explore efficient ways to move critical minerals and LNG through the port.
Now, with today’s Co-operation Agreement, Canada and Manitoba can pool our resources to further advance this project and unlock its full potential.This agreement builds on the strong partnership between the governments of Canada and Manitoba – a partnership rooted in a shared mission to build big and build fast. It is the seventh impact assessment agreement Canada has reached with a province, following agreements with Alberta, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Ontario, New Brunswick, and British Columbia.
From The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs April 15, 2026
Grand Chief Kyra Wilson and Regional Chief Willie Moore state that the agreement reflects a continuation of a bilateral government-to-government approach that excludes First Nations from decision-making processes that directly impact their lands, waters, and rights.
“First Nations have been clear and consistent: we must be at the table as governments, not consulted after decisions are made,” said Grand Chief Kyra Wilson. “Our Treaty relationship requires a tripartite, Treaty-centred approach. Anything less falls short of the constitutional and human rights standards that Canada has committed to uphold.”
First Nations leadership emphasized that these concerns have been formally and repeatedly communicated to both the federal and provincial governments.
The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs wrote directly to Mark Carney and Wab Kinew on December 12, 2025, regarding the draft Canada–Manitoba Co-operation Agreement on Environmental and Impact Assessment.
In that correspondence, AMC raised serious concerns about the exclusion of First Nations from the development of the agreement, the reliance on provincial processes that do not uphold Treaty rights, and the risk that Canada would treat those processes as a substitute for its constitutional obligations — including the duty to consult and obtain Free, Prior and Informed Consent.
The letter further called on both governments to pause the finalization of the agreement and to work directly with First Nations to co-develop a Treaty-centred, distinctions-based framework that recognizes First Nations jurisdiction and aligns with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
In addition, AMC provided submissions to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Natural Resources, highlighting that current development frameworks — particularly in critical minerals — continue to exclude First Nations from decision-making and fail to uphold Treaty and inherent rights.
“These are not new concerns,” said Regional Chief Willie Moore. “They have been clearly articulated through formal submissions and direct correspondence. Proceeding without addressing them risks deepening the gap between commitments to reconciliation and the reality experienced by First Nations.”
First Nations leadership also pointed to recent federal commitments that reinforce these concerns. In 2025, Parliament passed the Building Canada Act (Bill C-5), which requires that fast-tracked projects be evaluated on how they advance Indigenous interests and whether consultation was consistent with Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC). In 2026, Prime Minister Mark Carney pledged to the Assembly of First Nations that no major project would be designated as being in the “national interest” without the prior consent of First Nations. That pledge is now binding policy, and Canada cannot claim a project is in the national interest while ignoring the very consent it promised to obtain.
First Nations leaders stressed that while coordination between governments may improve administrative efficiency, it cannot come at the expense of Treaty rights, constitutional obligations, and First Nations jurisdiction.
“Leadership in our Nations should always be included in the conversation—this is how you gain trust. Trust to move forward, whether development proceeds or not, should be respected and recognized. It starts with being included in discussions,” added Regional Chief Moore. “Canada and Manitoba have clear legal obligations under Section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982, and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Those obligations require First Nations to be equal decision-makers.”
AMC and AFN Manitoba Region reiterated that the current bilateral structure risks enabling the substitution of provincial processes and reliance on outdated regulatory frameworks, without the consent or full participation of affected First Nations.
“Reconciliation cannot coexist with unilateral decision-making,” said Grand Chief Wilson. “This agreement, as it stands, places Canada and Manitoba on a path that is inconsistent with their stated commitments. We are calling for an immediate reset — one that brings First Nations to the table as full partners in a tripartite process that honours Treaties, respects our jurisdiction, and ensures our free, prior, and informed consent.”
First Nations leadership remains committed to working collaboratively with both governments to develop a path forward that supports responsible development while upholding the rights, laws, and governance of First Nations.
About The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs:
The AMC was formed in 1988 by the Chiefs in Manitoba to advocate on issues that commonly affect First Nations in Manitoba. AMC is an authorized representative of all 63 First Nations in Manitoba with a total of more than 172,000 First Nations citizens in the province, accounting for approximately 12 percent of the provincial population. AMC represents a diversity of Anishinaabe, Nehetho / Ininew, Anisininew, Denesuline, and Dakota Oyate peoples.
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