Bill C-39: Building Canada Strong Act

The businesses most directly affected are those in major project development — energy companies building pipelines, power lines, or offshore renewable energy facilities; mining and nuclear project proponents; port operators and shipping companies; and large construction firms working on infrastructure across Canada. Day-to-day activities touched include applying for federal permits and environmental authorizations, navigating impact assessment timelines, managing fish habitat offset requirements, and handling trade documentation electronically. The bill also affects transportation businesses — shippers, freight operators, and port-area companies — through new trade corridor rules, merger notification requirements, and expanded interswitching zones in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. On the labour side, federally regulated employers (typically larger companies in sectors like rail, telecoms, banking, and aviation) face new collective bargaining rules, tighter timelines, and changes to first collective agreement processes. Businesses of all sizes involved in importing or exporting goods will benefit from new rules allowing fully digital trade documents.