Notice of substitution approval under the Impact Assessment Act

The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC) has determined that an impact assessment pursuant to the Impact Assessment Act (IAA) is required for the Lawyers-Ranch Project (the project), located 275 kilometres north of Smithers, British Columbia (B.C.).

For this project, the Honourable Julie Dabrusin, Minister of the Environment, Climate Change and Nature, has approved the substitution of the conduct of the impact assessment to B.C. This means that B.C.'s Environmental Assessment Office (EAO) will conduct the impact assessment of the project under the Environmental Assessment Act, SBC 2018, C.51 on behalf of IAAC. The EAO will gather the information needed to inform a federal decision on the project under the IAA.

On November 5, 2025, B.C. requested that the conduct of the federal impact assessment process be substituted to the province. From January 13 to February 12, 2026, IAAC held a joint public-comment period with the EAO on the Initial Project Description and B.C.'s request to substitute the impact assessment process.

Comments received from the public and Indigenous nations on the substitution request indicated general support, with some Indigenous nations requesting assurances that IAAC would retain its duty to consult, and that they would have a meaningful opportunity to participate in the process. One comment in support of substitution was received from a member of the public. IAAC has shared these comments with the EAO so that they can be addressed in the substituted process, guided by B.C.'s commitments made to fulfilling the requirements of the IAA in the Impact Assessment Cooperation Agreement between Canada and British Columbia (the Cooperation Agreement) and its substitution request.

Having taken into consideration the request for substitution from B.C., the commitments made by B.C. in the Cooperation Agreement, and comments received during the joint public comment period, the Minister is of the opinion that B.C.'s process is an appropriate substitute for the federal process for the following reasons:

• B.C. has committed to a substituted impact assessment process that meets the legislative requirements of the IAA. This will include consideration of the factors set out in subsection 22(1) and the conditions and reporting requirements for substitution outlined in subsections 33(1) and (2), taking into account the definition of effects within federal jurisdiction in section 2;
• B.C. and Canada have established a framework to facilitate efficient and effective substituted impact assessments, set out in the Cooperation Agreement. B.C. has committed to fulfilling the conditions for substitution in Section 7 of the Cooperation Agreement; and
• B.C. has the ability to enter into an arrangement with any jurisdiction referred to in paragraphs (e) to (g) of the definition of jurisdiction in section 2 of the IAA respecting cooperation in the conduct of the impact assessment.

Additionally, the Minister is satisfied that:

• federal authorities will have the opportunity to participate in the impact assessment;
• B.C. will conduct consultation with Indigenous nations that may be affected by the project, including Indigenous nations identified by IAAC for consultation, and will provide IAAC the opportunity to participate in the consultation;
• the public will have the opportunity to meaningfully participate in the impact assessment process, as the B.C. process includes multiple opportunities for public comments; and
• the public will have access to information related to the impact assessment, including the proponent's information and studies, other scientific information, public comments, and the draft assessment report (subject to Section 13 of the Cooperation Agreement).

The Minister is also satisfied that B.C. will meet the following additional condition that she has established for the impact assessment of the project:

• the designated project to be assessed is the construction, operation and closure of a hybrid underground/open-pit gold and silver mine, the new transmission line extension and any incidental physical activities.

The Minister has made this substitution decision prior to EAO's decision that the project is ready to proceed to a provincial environmental assessment in order to provide process clarity to all participants, reduce timelines and increase efficiency. Should B.C. decide to terminate the provincial assessment, the project would revert back to a federal  impact assessment.

IAAC will make funding available to support the participation of Indigenous nations and the public in the substituted impact assessment and will work with the EAO to coordinate the timing of the funding to support the appropriate process steps.  

Information about the substituted impact assessment process for the project will be located on the EAO's project-specific website, EPIC.