Op-Ed Article: “Manitoba isn’t ready for nation-building projects”

📗Heather Fast, Policy Advocacy Director for the Manitoba Eco-Network, has written an op-ed for the Winnipeg Free Press, along with Patricia Fitzpatrick and Katrine Dilay – recognizing that Manitoba isn’t ready for nation-building projects with the current state of our impact assessment process.

“…The federal government has made clear it wants projects approved faster and has committed to reducing what it calls bureaucratic red tape. Through the Building Canada Act and the creation of the Major Projects Office, Ottawa is signalling a new approach to development. And it’s gaining real traction. Since last summer, nearly $120 billion in major projects have been announced across the country.

Manitoba has not yet seen one of those announcements. But it most likely will. If it happened today, we believe our province isn’t ready.”

“…Manitoba’s assessment system is woefully outdated, and Manitobans are asking the provincial government to act now. Without modern provincial laws, Manitoba risks being pulled into accelerated processes it did not design, with limited ability to protect communities, lands, and water. If federal oversight is reduced, the province must ensure its own safeguards are robust, transparent, and capable of standing on their own.”

📗FULL ARTICLE: “Manitoba isn’t ready for nation-building projects” – Heather Fast, Patricia Fitzpatrick and Katrine Dilay (Jan 31st, 2026)
https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/analysis/2026/01/31/manitoba-isnt-ready-for-nation-building-projects