Prime Minister Mark Carney walks to his first news conference since winning the federal election in Ottawa on Friday, May 2, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian WyldAdrian Wyld/The Canadian Press

The recent federal election generated a fever for launching big projects with haste. Prime Minister Mark Carney has secured a mandate from voters with his election-night promise to “build, build, baby, build.”

The rush to fast-track development is meant to help Canada weather the economic storms of the U.S. tariff war. But one of the significant hurdles that can slow down such a fast track is the requirement of the Crown to conduct meaningful consultation with First Nations impacted by proposed developments. British Columbia has found a way forward, offering a blueprint that should be embraced by Ottawa.

“First Nations do have a big hesitation when we hear ‘fast track’,” noted Robert Phillips, a senior Indigenous leader in British Columbia with the First Nations Summit political executive.

Mr. Phillips was speaking at a B.C. government event, where he offered his support to an initiative that does aim to expedite........

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