There’s been a lot of talk about major infrastructure projects in Canada lately, with the federal government planning to fast-track resource development across the country.

This push isn’t surprising. In 2024, the natural resources sector accounted for 16 per cent of Canada’s GDP and provided 1.8 million jobs.

Yet these economic benefits result in trade-offs for the environment, with many consequences still unclear. Before accelerating development with less environmental oversight, these unknowns need to be considered.

Read more: Why the federal government must act cautiously on fast-tracking project approvals

Examples of unintended environmental consequences aren’t hard to find across Canada. If someone told you about a high-density network of corridors, often spaced less than 100 metres apart, you might picture city roads or an urban park trail system.

In fact, such a network of linear clearings, also called seismic lines, can be found across Canada’s boreal forest. There are an estimated over 1.8 million kilometres of such clearings in Alberta alone.

They were, and continue to be, created for geophysical exploration, allowing personnel and equipment to move across the landscape and map underground resources like oil and gas. In Alberta, early records of this type of exploration date from the late 1920s, with activity greatly expanding from the 1960s onwards.

As these exploration programs........

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