Comment on federal impact assessments through the Canadian Impact Assessment Registry: find a project, read the document open for comment at its current stage, verify your email address, and submit a comment that becomes part of the public record.
Applies in: CA
The Canadian Impact Assessment Registry, called the Registry in this guide, is the online place where the federal government posts information about assessments and collects comments from Indigenous Peoples and the public. Learn More About the Registry describes it as an online platform that provides a transparent one-stop shop for information about projects subject to a federal assessment, including impact assessments under the Impact Assessment Act, regulatory processes of major projects, projects carried out on federal lands or outside Canada led by other authorities, strategic and regional assessments, ongoing environmental assessments under earlier legislation, and federal permits and authorizations needed for a project to start construction. The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada, IAAC, is responsible for assessments under the Act, including regional and strategic assessments, on the same page. Other authorities are responsible for assessments on federal lands or outside Canada, including managing and maintaining those records, so the authority named on a project page matters: an IAAC-led assessment and a federal-lands assessment do not carry the same records or the same contact.
This guide covers mechanics only: how to find a project, read the document that is open for comment, write a comment the Registry will accept, submit it, and follow what happens next. It does not argue for or against any project, and it does not comment on any specific project. What you say in a comment is yours; how the Registry handles it, what stage it belongs to, and what is published are set by IAAC, and this guide follows IAAC's pages on those points.
Understand what a comment does before you write one. Why, how and when to participate in impact assessment states that what the public says throughout the assessment process will become part of the public record, and will also be documented in an Impact Assessment Report that the Minister of Environment and Climate Change or Cabinet will consider in making their decision on the project. The same page encourages participation during formal comment periods to ensure that views are taken into account at the appropriate stage of the process. A comment is therefore part of a record tied to a stage, not a general message about a project. The steps below keep your comment tied to the right document, at the right stage, inside the deadline stated for that document.
Start from the Registry homepage and search with what you know. Canadian Impact Assessment Registry - Frequently Asked Questions states that you can find information about projects and other assessments by searching using keywords, browsing a list of active assessments, using an interactive map to find assessments, and reading a list of notices to get involved in an assessment, and that you can search from the Registry homepage using keywords, reference numbers, location, and filters on the results page. Results are sorted by relevance, and leaving the search field empty shows all the records posted online, on the same page.
The search-tips page adds the refinements that make a search usable. Search Tips advises starting with the name of the assessment or the registry reference number if you know it, adding the location when you are looking for an assessment in a specific place, and choosing words the Agency uses, because that is how assessments and documents are titled. Spelling matters: the same page warns that if words are misspelled, the search may not give accurate results, and that you should make sure you spell the names of assessments, proponents, or documents correctly, while grammar, capitalisation, and accents do not matter. If the first page of results does not show what you want, add more words or use filters to narrow the search and try again.
Two pre-filtered routes save time when you do not have a project name. The FAQ page states that from the registry homepage you can click Search current assessments to see all results currently undergoing a federal assessment led by IAAC, Search federal land assessments for active assessments led by other federal authorities, and Search status of permits by project for the progress of federal permits and authorizations needed for a project to start construction. The same page states that from the homepage you can click Get involved, which links to notices about how to get involved in an active assessment, organized by location of the assessment, by province, territory, or outside Canada. If you know roughly where a project is but not its name, start with Get involved for that province or territory, or with the interactive map, which the FAQ page states can be searched by keywords, place names, and reference numbers and refined with Nearby and Filter tools.
Confirm you have the right assessment before you read further. Each assessment has its own page, and links to key documents for a specific project are listed on the assessment page, with links to all documents and comments under List all records, according to the FAQ page. Check the project name, the reference number, and the location shown on the page against the project you mean. Assessments on federal lands or outside Canada carry different records: the FAQ page states each responsible authority must post a notice of intent to make a determination and invite public comments, and a notice of determination including any mitigation measures, with more information or records available on request from the authority identified on the assessment page. If the page names another authority, follow that authority's contact and records route, not IAAC's.
Open the project page and work out where the project sits before you write. Impact assessment process states that the impact assessment process is organized into five phases: Planning, Impact Statement, Impact Assessment, Decision, and Post Decision for follow-up activities, and notes that the overview does not deal with assessments carried out by other jurisdictions or by review panels. The project page offers tools to track the progress of an assessment from start to finish, including relevant federal permits and authorizations that may be required, according to Learn More About the Registry. Use those tools, the notices, and the documents listed on the page to place the project in a phase, and then read the document that belongs to that phase.
The five phases, as the process page describes them, are:
Planning. The proponent gives IAAC an Initial Project Description, including the location of the project and the communities and Indigenous Peoples that may be affected. The description is posted on the Registry for comment. Using the comments received, IAAC prepares a summary of the issues raised that apply to federal jurisdiction and asks the proponent to respond, and the summary is posted on the Registry. Based on the project description and the comments received, IAAC considers the potential adverse federal effects and decides whether an impact assessment is required. If one is required, IAAC gives the proponent Tailored Impact Statement Guidelines.
Impact Statement. The proponent assesses the impacts of the project, engages with Indigenous Peoples and the public, and submits an Impact Statement based on the Tailored Impact Statement Guidelines. Once IAAC receives the Impact Statement, it begins reviewing the document and invites comments through the Registry, while other government experts and Indigenous Peoples also review it. If information is missing, IAAC asks the proponent to provide it, and once all required information has been provided, IAAC begins to conduct the impact assessment.
Impact Assessment. IAAC analyses the potential impacts, drafts the Impact Assessment Report from the Impact Statement and input received, and prepares draft potential conditions designed to reduce potential negative impacts. Those draft conditions are publicly shared so everyone may provide feedback. The final report is then submitted to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change.
Decision. The Minister must make a decision or refer the decision to the Governor in Council. The decision is communicated in a Decision Statement posted on the Registry along with the final Impact Assessment Report, informing the proponent whether the project is allowed to proceed and, if so, listing the conditions the proponent must adhere to.
Post Decision. The Decision Statement is legally binding, IAAC conducts inspections and tracks and reports on follow-up activities, and Indigenous Peoples and the public have opportunities to participate in monitoring and follow-up. If the proponent wants to make a change to the project, details of the change and IAAC's analysis are posted on the Registry to obtain feedback from Indigenous Peoples, the public, and other stakeholders.
You can find projects and assessments on the Registry at any time. The introduction page states you can find projects and assessments 24/7 using suggested searches or keywords, refining results with filters such as location or nature of project. Finding a page at any hour does not mean a comment period is open: a period is open only while its notice says it is open, which is the subject of the next step.
Every comment period is announced, and the announcement is the document you must read. The FAQ page states that 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, and geospatial data files on the Registry. Open the notice for the period you intend to comment in, and read it in full before drafting: it names the document open for comment, explains how to participate, and states the closing date.
Do not carry a deadline from one project or one stage to another. No fixed comment-period length is stated on the official pages, and periods differ by document and stage. The notice on the project page is the only deadline that governs your comment. If the notice has closed, do not assume a late comment will be treated the same way; contact the project contact listed at the bottom of the project page, as Why, how and when to participate in impact assessment directs readers to do for further information, and ask what later opportunities exist for that assessment.
Read the document named in the notice, not a summary of it from elsewhere. Why, how and when to participate in impact assessment lists learning about the assessment as consulting documents produced by IAAC, review panels, committees, experts, and the proponent as applicable, and viewing public submissions and comments of others. Reading other comments can show what has already been raised and what evidence others relied on, but your comment should address the document itself: which part you are responding to, what information or knowledge you are adding, and what effect or issue you are identifying. The same page lists, under why to participate, identifying issues important to you, helping IAAC understand the context in which the project would take place, providing knowledge or views about potential impacts, helping identify and address potential impacts in the early stages, and influencing decisions about projects or measures to mitigate impacts. Frame your comment around those contributions, tied to the open document, rather than around a general position on the project.
Check for participant funding and information sessions while you are on the page. Learn More About the Registry states that project pages include direct links to participant funding opportunities, and the FAQ page states that Get involved notices can include open application periods for participant funding alongside comment periods, open houses, and information sessions. The process page states that IAAC's Participant Funding Program provides financial assistance to support assessment-related public engagement and Indigenous consultation. No amount, eligibility rule, or application deadline is stated on the official pages, so check the project page and its funding notice for the terms that apply to that assessment, and do not assume funding is available for every period.
The Registry publishes comments, so write for publication. Submission Policy states that the Registry is an online portal where anyone can submit comments or information for an assessment, that comments submitted online are published in real time, and that submissions must comply with the Impact Assessment Act and related legislation, policies, and guidelines. IAAC reserves the right to remove information submitted, in whole or in part, for reasons related to the policy guidelines, and may also remove information in response to an author's request or for administrative reasons such as transcription or duplication errors.
Keep personal and confidential material out of the comment entirely. The Submission Policy states: do not include information that is private or confidential or that could cause a security concern, giving as examples personal information about yourself or others such as home addresses, telephone numbers, or medical history; information that could cause economic harm or advantage to a commercial third party, such as confidential business information or manufacturing or trade secrets; information provided in confidence by a province or international government; information that could affect the security of an individual; information that could affect the integrity and availability of data, systems, and facilities; and confidential Indigenous knowledge. Do not use the Registry to submit confidential information: confidential information, such as confidential Indigenous knowledge, must be submitted in a protected way, and the policy directs you to the relevant assessment page or policy document for details or contact information. Privacy Notice repeats the rule for confidential or sensitive information: do not submit it through the Registry, and contact the appropriate organization responsible for the relevant assessment by telephone or email instead. Providing personal information about other individuals without their consent is prohibited, on the same page.
Keep the comment respectful and free of material the Registry will not accept. The Submission Policy states not to make comments or provide information that is inappropriate or offensive, including information contrary to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Constitution Act, 1982, and lists as unacceptable comments those that are racist, hateful, sexist, homophobic, defamatory, or profane; threatening, violent, intimidating, or harassing; or encouraging or inciting criminal activity. On formats, the policy states the Registry cannot accept electronic file formats that might cause security risks, such as files with an .exe extension; content that may be seen as advertising or solicitation, spam or malware, or other irrelevant material; or links to other websites, which will be automatically disabled because IAAC cannot guarantee or endorse external content. Write the substance of your point in the comment itself instead of linking to it, and attach documents only through the submission feature on the project page where the notice or form provides for it.
State the basis for what you claim, in the comment, without adding material the policy forbids. Name the document and section you are responding to, describe the local knowledge, observation, or information you are contributing, and say plainly what you are asking IAAC to consider at this stage. If you are commenting as part of an organization, say so on the form, as the submission form asks for the organization you represent if applicable. If part of your evidence is confidential, stop and use the protected route in the previous paragraph rather than trimming it into a public comment: a comment that hints at confidential material without providing it helps neither you nor the assessment.
Submit through the project page, by the online tool or by email. Canadian Impact Assessment Registry - Frequently Asked Questions states that individuals and organizations can submit comments on an assessment via the Registry's online commenting tool or by email, that all comments are subject to the Submission Policy, and that you should navigate to the assessment page of interest for contact information or to submit a comment online. Learn More About the Registry states that comments can also be submitted using conventional formats by writing to the email address identified on the relevant project page, and that the Registry's online commenting system makes it easy to instantly provide comments on a project. Use the contact and submission route shown on the project page you are commenting on, not a general IAAC address copied from another project.
For an online comment, verification comes first. The FAQ page states: 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. Users must verify their email address before submitting a comment, to maintain the integrity of the information posted on the Registry and to help ensure all contributions are legitimate and in line with the Submission Policy, on the same page. Have access to the inbox for the address you enter, and check the junk or spam folder if the code does not arrive promptly, as the FAQ page advises for the notification service's verification code. Enter the name under which the comment will be posted, since the Privacy Notice states the submitter's name, views, or opinions would be made public, while the email address provided when submitting an online comment would not be disclosed.
Submit once, and keep a copy of what you submitted. The FAQ page states that all comments received are considered in the assessment process, that comments submitted online are posted in real time, and that information submitted by other methods is posted online after being reviewed. If you submitted by email, allow for that review before the comment appears, and do not resubmit the same comment online as well, which risks a duplicate posting that IAAC may remove for administrative reasons. If you have difficulty submitting online, contact the Registry team at registry-registre@iaac-aeic.gc.ca, the address the introduction page gives for questions, help, or ideas to improve the Registry. For questions about a specific assessment rather than the Registry itself, use the project contact on the assessment page.
After submitting online, open the project page and confirm your comment appears as you wrote it. Comments submitted online are posted in real time, according to the FAQ page, so a comment that does not appear promptly may have failed verification or submission. Check the List all records view for the project if the comment is not visible on the main project page. If you spot a transcription or duplication error in your own posting, contact the project contact or the Registry team: the Submission Policy states IAAC may remove information in response to an author's request or for administrative reasons such as transcription or duplication errors, and the Privacy Notice states you may request that your comments be removed in specific circumstances by email to the contact listed on the relevant web page, including relevant information to inform IAAC's evaluation of the request. Removal is evaluated case by case; it is not described as automatic on any official page.
Stay informed about later stages rather than treating one comment as the whole process. Learn More About the Registry states you can subscribe to receive email updates by project, location, nature of activity, or assessment type whenever new information is posted on the Registry. The FAQ page states the notification service sends subscribers personalised email updates when documents for assessments are posted, that you will receive an email once per day when information is posted that matches your personalised preferences, and that notifications are generated based on new content such as documents, information sessions, participation, and funding opportunities. To subscribe, click the Subscribe button from the Registry homepage or on any assessment page, choose your preferences by project, geographic area, nature of activity, and type of assessment, and modify your preferences at any time, on the same page. Signing up asks you to provide and validate your email address and to provide your first and last name, with postal code and organization optional for demographic purposes, and email addresses are treated confidentially and not shared unless required by law. If you unsubscribe, the Privacy Notice states your personal information stays on the Registry database for two years.
For a single project, a direct email list may be simpler than Registry-wide notifications. Why, how and when to participate in impact assessment states you can email the project contact listed at the bottom of the project's page in the Registry to add your address to the project's email notification list, and to reach out to that contact for further information. The Privacy Notice adds that you can ask to have your name and email address added to an IAAC email distribution list for a specific assessment, that those emails inform recipients of participation opportunities, key documents, and key steps, and that you may request removal from IAAC email lists at any time. Use one route or the other for the same project to avoid duplicate notices, and keep the project page bookmarked: each new stage brings a new notice, a new document, and a new deadline, and a comment written for an earlier stage does not carry forward automatically.
No account is described on the official Registry pages. [Canadian Impact Assessment Registry - Frequently Asked Questions](http://aeic-iaac.gc.ca/050/evaluations/faq) states that to submit a comment online you enter your email address, enter the verification code 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. Users must verify their email address before submitting a comment, to maintain the integrity of the information posted on the Registry and to help ensure that all contributions are legitimate and in line with the Submission Policy. [Learn More About the Registry](https://www.iaac-aeic.gc.ca/050/evaluations/introduction) states the same point in shorter form: the Registry offers an online commenting system, and you only need a valid email address and your comment is posted in real time. Comments can also be submitted by email using the contact information on the relevant project page, according to the FAQ page.
No fixed length is stated on the official pages, so do not assume one. Each comment period belongs to a specific document and a specific stage, and the notice for that period states what is open for comment and when comments close. [Why, how and when to participate in impact assessment](https://www.canada.ca/en/impact-assessment-agency/services/public-participation-impact-assessments/why-how-when-participate.html) encourages participation during formal comment periods to ensure that views are taken into account at the appropriate stage of the process. Read the notice on the project page before you start writing, note its closing date, and if the period has closed, use the project contact listed at the bottom of the project page to ask about later opportunities rather than submitting a comment on a closed document and assuming it will be treated the same way.
Your comment will be published, and your email address will not be disclosed. [Canadian Impact Assessment Registry - Frequently Asked Questions](http://aeic-iaac.gc.ca/050/evaluations/faq) states that all comments received are considered in the assessment process, that comments submitted online via the Registry are posted in real time, and that information submitted by other methods such as email or fax is posted online after being reviewed. [Privacy Notice](https://www.iaac-aeic.gc.ca/050/evaluations/protection?culture=en-CA) states that in cases where personal information is provided with a comment, the submitter's name, personal information, views or opinions would be made public, while the email address provided when submitting an online comment would not be disclosed. That is why the Submission Policy and the Privacy Notice both ask participants not to include personal information such as a home address, telephone number, or signature in a comment. If you want a comment removed in specific circumstances, the Privacy Notice states the request can be sent by email to the contact listed on the relevant web page and must include relevant information to inform the Agency's evaluation of the request.
Comment on the document that is open at the stage the project has reached. [Impact assessment process](https://www.canada.ca/en/impact-assessment-agency/programs/impact-assessments-101/impact-assessment-process.html) organises the process into five phases: Planning, Impact Statement, Impact Assessment, Decision, and Post Decision. In Planning, the Initial Project Description is posted on the Registry for comment, comments are used to prepare a summary of the issues raised that apply to federal jurisdiction, and the Agency decides whether an impact assessment is required. In the Impact Statement phase, the proponent's Impact Statement is reviewed and comments are invited through the Registry. In the Impact Assessment phase, draft potential conditions are publicly shared so everyone may provide feedback. In the Decision phase, the Decision Statement and the final Impact Assessment Report are posted on the Registry. In Post Decision, Indigenous Peoples and the public have opportunities to participate in monitoring and follow-up activities, and details of a proposed change to a project are posted on the Registry to obtain feedback. A comment that addresses the document named in the current notice is the comment that fits the stage.
No. [Submission Policy](https://iaac-aeic.gc.ca/050/evaluations/participation/conditions?culture=en-CA) states that you must not include information that is private or confidential or that could cause a security concern, including personal information about yourself or others such as home addresses, telephone numbers, or medical history, confidential business information or trade secrets, information provided in confidence by a province or international government, information that could affect the security of an individual, and confidential Indigenous knowledge. Confidential information must be submitted in a protected way, and the policy directs you to the relevant assessment page or policy document for details or contact information on submitting it. [Privacy Notice](https://www.iaac-aeic.gc.ca/050/evaluations/protection?culture=en-CA) states the same rule for confidential or sensitive information: do not submit it through the Registry, and instead contact the appropriate organization responsible for the relevant assessment by telephone or email. Providing personal information about other individuals without their consent is prohibited. If your point cannot be made without confidential material, contact the organization responsible for the assessment first and ask how to submit it in a protected way, rather than putting it in an online comment.
Funding exists, but no amount or eligibility rule is stated on the official pages, so none is stated here. [Impact assessment process](https://www.canada.ca/en/impact-assessment-agency/programs/impact-assessments-101/impact-assessment-process.html) states that the Agency's Participant Funding Program provides financial assistance to support assessment-related public engagement and Indigenous consultation. [Canadian Impact Assessment Registry - Frequently Asked Questions](http://aeic-iaac.gc.ca/050/evaluations/faq) states that the Get involved page links to notices about how to get involved in an active assessment, and that different ways to participate can include comment periods, open houses and information sessions, and open application periods for participant funding. [Learn More About the Registry](https://www.iaac-aeic.gc.ca/050/evaluations/introduction) states that project pages include direct links to participant funding opportunities. Check the project page and the Get involved notices for the assessment you are following, and treat any funding opportunity as open only while its own notice says it is open.
No figure in this guide was carried from a secondary source. The following were cut because they could not be verified on an official page: any fixed length for a comment period, including any number of days for a planning-phase or any other period; the number of digits in the email verification code; any fee or cost for submitting a comment; any day-count timeline for a phase of the assessment; any participant funding amount, eligibility rule, or application deadline; any file-size, attachment, or word limit for a comment; and any statement about how long IAAC takes to review comments submitted by email before posting them. Check the notice and the project page for the assessment you are following, or the project contact listed on that page, before relying on any of those points.