Feds drop plans to skirt species at risk act for major projects

OTTAWA — The federal government is abandoning plans to exempt certain projects from laws designed to protect species at risk.

But environmental groups say Ottawa can still bypass the Species At Risk Act through other means.

Ottawa is planning to introduce legislation in the fall to speed up approvals for major projects.

Part of the initial proposal was to give cabinet ministers “limited” power to exempt projects from what’s known as the “jeopardy test” for species at risk.

As first reported by The Toronto Star, the federal government is dropping those plans.

A senior government source confirmed to The Canadian Press that feedback received from more than 26,000 submissions overwhelmingly raised concerns about species at risk protections.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 9, 2026.

Nick Murray, The Canadian Press