Protests Erupt Across Canada Over Bill C-39 Omnibus Legislation
Indigenous leaders, labor unions, and environmental groups held over 60 protests across Canada to oppose Bill C-39, citing threats to environmental and Indigenous rights.
More than 60 coordinated protests occurred across Canada on November 12 and 13, 2026, as demonstrators rallied against Bill C-39, also known as the Building Canada Strong Act. Protesters gathered at federal offices in cities including Ottawa, Winnipeg, Edmonton, and Thunder Bay, as well as the offices of various Members of Parliament, to demand the legislation be scrapped or amended.
Mark Carney, the Prime Minister of Canada, championed the bill as a strategy to attract overseas markets and reduce economic reliance on the United States. Opponents, who have dubbed the legislation the "Bulldoze Nature Bill," argue it grants the cabinet excessive power to exempt projects of national interest from environmental, labor, and Indigenous laws. Critics specifically claim the bill undermines the Species at Risk Act and restricts the legal right to strike.
The Government of Canada maintains the bill will make project reviews faster and more predictable without granting new intervention powers under the Canada Labour Code. The legislation passed its second reading on October 8 with 296 votes in favor and 26 against. It is currently under review by a special House of Commons committee, where some Conservative members have called for serious amendments or for labor portions of the bill to be split for separate votes.
