JV Article: Trinity Consultants Sees Early Gains Under Ontario’s New Rules

Why It Matters

By cutting permitting delays, 1P1P improves project economics and makes Canada a more competitive source of critical minerals, directly supporting national security and economic growth.

Key Takeaways

• 1P1P streamlines approvals for Frontier's PAK lithium project.
• Single government contact improves regulator communication and trust.
• Coordinated water studies reduce duplication across ministries.
• Sequenced permits prevent costly mid‑construction delays.
• Early data submission critical under compressed timelines.

Pulse Analysis

Ontario introduced the One Project, One Process (1P1P) framework in October to address the fragmented permitting landscape that has long slowed Canadian mining projects. By assigning a dedicated government team to each accepted proponent, the province creates a single point of contact that can coordinate environmental, land‑use and infrastructure approvals. The move aligns with Ottawa’s push to secure domestic supplies of critical minerals such as lithium, a strategic response to U.S. tariffs and growing Chinese dominance. Early adopters, including Frontier Lithium’s PAK project, are already testing the new pathway.

Trinity Consultants, serving as Frontier’s environmental adviser, reports that 1P1P has eliminated the need for repetitive baseline submissions, allowing all permit data to be presented once and then discussed with regulators on a technical basis. Water management, traditionally split among several ministries, now benefits from a unified review that defines study requirements up front, cutting duplication and accelerating timelines. Moreover, the framework’s sequencing of construction and operational permits removes the previous bottleneck where a new permit could not be filed until the prior one was approved, reducing the risk of costly mid‑construction delays.

The early gains suggest that a more integrated permitting regime could make Canada more attractive to both domestic and foreign investors seeking stable, predictable project timelines. However, the scalability of 1P1P will depend on sufficient staffing and the ability to maintain coordination as more projects enter the pipeline. Companies are being urged to front‑load engineering and environmental data, because compressed review windows leave little room for late‑stage information gaps. If Ontario can sustain these efficiencies, the model may be replicated across other provinces, reshaping the national mining approval landscape.