Frequently Asked Questions

The Canadian Impact Assessment Registry (the Registry) is a website where the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC) stores records, including documents and comments, from federal impact assessments. IAAC and other organizations responsible for completing federal assessments ensure that records of assessments are posted and maintained on the Registry so that the public can access them.

You can find information about projects and other assessments on the Registry by:

• searching using keywords
• browsing a list of active assessments
• using an interactive map to find assessments
• reading a list of notices to get involved in an assessment

You can also read and submit comments to have your say on potential projects.

See About the Registry to learn more about the different types of information you can find on the Registry.

You can search from the Registry homepage using:

• keywords
• reference numbers
• location
• filters on the results page

Results are sorted by relevance. To see all the records that are posted online, leave the search field empty. See the Search Tips page for more help on filtering and sorting your search results.

All information that is considered during an assessment is posted on the Registry subject to exceptions related to privacy, security or confidentiality.

For assessments led by IAAC or by a review panel, you can find:

• public notices with details on how to get involved in an assessment
• technical documents submitted by proponents
• guidelines and plans informing the conduct of impact assessments
• documents for public review
• public comments
• geospatial data files

Links to key documents for a specific project are listed on the assessment page. Links to all documents and comments for the project can be found under “List all records.”

See the contact information provided on the relevant assessment page if you have questions or require more information.

The information for assessments of projects on federal lands and outside Canada is different from assessments led by IAAC or by a review panel. Each authority responsible for completing the assessment must post the following documents:

• Notice of intent to make a determination and invite public comments
• Notice of determination, which includes any mitigation measures

More information or records for these assessments may be available upon request. Contact the authority identified on the relevant assessment page for details.

See the policy and guidance for Projects on Federal Lands and Outside Canada for more information about these requirements.

You can find information about federal permits needed for the project to start construction from the “Permits” section of the project page. From there you can follow the progress timeline and track the status of each permit application. Progress details about each permit is updated monthly based on information submitted by the responsible federal organization.

Information about permits is available on relevant impact assessment pages and on project pages for those that may not need an assessment but meet criteria from IAAC’s Permitting Coordination for Clean Growth Projects.

Records posted on the Registry are in web accessible formats (such as HTML) or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). Contact the Registry team at registry-registre@iaac-aeic.gc.ca if you require information in another format.

IAAC commits to ensuring that information from the federal government and services provided on the Registry are available in both English and French. Information from external sources (such as public comments) are not subject to the Official Languages Act and are available in the language they are submitted.

Information for completed projects stays on the Registry for reference. Some archived assessments may have additional information that is not posted on the Registry. Contact the department or organization that is identified on the Registry assessment page for details.

Contact information for archived assessments is not up-to-date. For further information about an archived assessment, use the generic contact information of the authority listed on the project page.

Individuals and organizations can submit comments on an assessment via the Registry’s online commenting tool or by email. All comments are subject to the Submission Policy. Navigate to the assessment page of interest for contact information or to submit a comment online.

To submit a comment online, follow the instructions to verify your identity.

Simply enter your email address, enter the verification code that is sent to your email address, and complete the submission form including your email address, name, and the name of the organization you represent (if applicable).

To maintain the integrity of the information posted on the Registry, users must verify their email address before submitting a comment. This helps ensure that all contributions are legitimate and in line with the Submission Policy.

For more information, see the Privacy Notice and Terms of Use.

All comments received are considered in the assessment process. Comments submitted online via the Registry are posted in real-time. Information submitted by other methods (email, fax, etc.) are posted online after being reviewed.

IAAC is required to protect and remove confidential information. We may also remove information in response to an author’s request or for administrative reasons, such as transcription or duplication errors.

The notification service sends subscribers personalized email updates when documents for assessments are posted on the Registry. Subscribers can modify or cancel their subscription at any time. The types of notifications you get will depend on your preferences.

You will receive an email once per day when information is posted that matches your personalized preferences. Notifications are generated based on new content posted on the Registry, such as documents, information sessions, participation and funding opportunities.

Note that you will not receive updates for assessments that are substituted to another jurisdiction (for example, a province). Information on the project page will refer you to the appropriate website to receive further information on those assessments.

Subscribe to receive email notifications about assessment updates by clicking the “Subscribe” button from the Registry homepage or on any assessment page.

You can choose the type of notifications you want to receive, such as by project, geographic area, nature of activity, and type of assessment. You will receive notifications for every selection chosen. All options work independently from each other and do not merge with other selections. You can modify your preferences at any time if you want to receive less or more content.

If you previously received the IAAC weekly news bulletin and want to receive similar content, you can choose IAAC within the Authority section.

You will be asked to provide and validate your email address. If you do not receive your verification code, verify your junk email folder, firewall settings, or try using another email address.

You will also need to provide your first and last name when you sign up. If you choose, you can also provide your postal code and organization for demographic purposes.

Email addresses are treated confidentially. Subscribers are not able to view the email addresses of other subscribers. Unless required by law, subscribers email addresses will not be shared. For more information, visit the Privacy Notice.

You can view the different filters on the left-hand side of the Registry main search page to better assess what options are available, including what types of assessments are currently underway.

If you need further guidance, please contact the Registry team at registry-registre@iaac-aeic.gc.ca.

When subscribing, you will be asked if you agree to receive surveys conducted by IAAC. Your participation is voluntary, and the information you provide will remain confidential. Your participation is important to help us assess the effectiveness of this Registry as a consultation tool.

You can find assessments on the map using:

• keywords
• place names
• reference numbers

You can further refine the search by using the “Nearby” and “Filter” tools.

The interactive map provides advanced analysis through the bottom four buttons of the left toolbar as follows.

• Filter: Users can refine their search by selecting different criteria such as location (province), assessment type, and nature of activity.
• Nearby: Users can drop a pin and select a distance (e.g.: 50km) to find assessments within a certain radius from a location on the map.
• Add External Data by:
  • Selecting data from the curated lists available in the drop-down menu (e.g. Environmental, Clean Energy Generation, etc.),
  • Adding data in the form of a URL,
  • Uploading local geospatial files (e.g. Shapefile, CSV, KML, etc.).
• Basemaps: Change the basemap to get a different look at the topography and geography of the area.

See the Interactive assessment map: Quick reference guide for more details.

The interactive assessment map includes data layers to help you find, explore, and analyze information using a mapping interface. Explore the data layers available in the first four buttons of the left toolbar as follows.

• Assessment layers: These include the current, completed, and terminated assessments on the Registry. The locations are approximate, using the coordinates provided by proponents. For linear projects, more than one location may be identified.
• Proponent data submissions: These are geospatial data packages submitted by project proponents to provide detailed outlines of the project footprint and components.
• Information about Indigenous Peoples and Environmental layers: Commonly used open-source layers have been included in the map to assist in decision-making, analysis, and engagement.

Geospatial data files are specialized data types linked to a geographic location that can be viewed on a map in the form of layers. Geospatial data can be linked to a location on a map, such as a street address, town, province or any other geographic feature like a coastline, mountain, or river.

A common file type used to represent geographic data files are shapefiles. These consist of geographic features like vectors (i.e. points, lines, and polygons) and their attributes. These can be viewed using the Registry’s interactive map or specialized geographic information system (GIS) software.

Proponents submit geospatial data files to IAAC throughout the assessment process. They are submitted with documents such as the Initial Project Description or the Impact Statement.

Once IAAC has received these data files, we make them available on the Registry. You can find them using the Registry’s search parameters or document filters. You can explore these data layers using the interactive assessment map and visualize them on a mapping interface.

An archived assessment is one that is no longer required to be maintained online. Information may not be available in a web accessible format and is provided for reference purposes only.

The word “(Archived)” is included in the title. Assessments and any related document website pages are marked with a banner at the top of the page.

The Canadian Environmental Assessment Archives was an online database of assessments completed under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 1992. This database has been decommissioned, and all of the information continues to be publicly available.

Information about archived comprehensive studies and assessments by a review panel are available on the Registry. You can use a keyword search on the Registry homepage to find them.

Information about projects that were assessed by a screening or class-screening are now available through the Open Data website.

If you need help with or have questions about federal impact assessments, please contact IAAC at information@iaac-aeic.gc.ca.

For specific questions about the Registry site, please contact the Registry team at registry-registre@iaac-aeic.gc.ca.

For technical help or questions about the map or geographic data layers, please contact IAAC’s Geomatics Services team at geomatics-geomatiques@iaac-aeic.gc.ca.

For media inquiries, please contact the Media Relations team at media@iaac-aeic.gc.ca. They can also be reached by telephone at: 343-549-3870.