Schedule 1: 'Board' replaced with 'Regulator'

Summary#

The Regulations Amending Schedule 1 to the Impact Assessment Act (Miscellaneous Program) update wording in Schedule 1 of the Impact Assessment Act so that references to a now-repealed “Board” read “Regulator.” The change took effect on the day the regulations were registered: May 29, 2026.

What it does#

• Replaces the word “Board” with “Regulator” in sections 2 and 3 of Schedule 1 to the Impact Assessment Act.
• Brings the IAA’s list of federal authorities into line with earlier changes to the Canada–Newfoundland and Labrador Atlantic Accord Implementation and Offshore Renewable Energy Management Act and the Canada–Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Resources Accord Implementation and Offshore Renewable Energy Management Act.
• Reflects the renaming of the offshore bodies to the Canada–Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Energy Regulator and the Canada–Nova Scotia Offshore Energy Regulator.
• The change is a wording (consequential) amendment. It does not add new duties or new costs.

Who's affected#

• The two offshore regulators: Canada–Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Energy Regulator and Canada–Nova Scotia Offshore Energy Regulator.
• Federal authorities listed in Schedule 1 of the Impact Assessment Act (their listing is now consistent with the Accord Acts).
• Project proponents, companies and legal advisers working on offshore energy projects in Newfoundland and Nova Scotia may notice the updated terminology in laws and regulatory documents.
• The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada and other officials who administer or interpret the IAA.
  If you are not involved in offshore energy or regulatory lists, this change is unlikely to affect you directly.

Why it matters#

• It fixes a mismatch left after earlier amendments renamed the offshore “Boards” to “Regulators.” That mismatch could have created confusion about which bodies count as federal authorities under the Impact Assessment Act.
• The update provides legal clarity and certainty without changing rights, responsibilities, or costs for businesses or the public.