As part of its 17th annual Red Tape Awareness Week, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) has bestowed upon the Alberta government’s “Automatic Yes” toolkit its Golden Scissors Award, its highest recognition for red tape reduction efforts.
In its media release, CFIB explained that the provincial government’s new framework aims to hasten permit approvals and free up resources for more complex cases by decreasing review times for low- and medium-risk applications.
Alberta shared that it has aligned 68 percent of provincial permits with “Automatic Yes” principles and shortened decision times for a quarter of permits.
“We’re proud of our record and we’re always looking to make things better – and for good reason,” said Dale Nally, minister of Service Alberta and red tape reduction, in a news release. “Reducing red tape helps Alberta businesses, taxpayers and families save time and money to create jobs and grow their business.”
“Clear timelines and simpler rules help entrepreneurs focus on growth, not paperwork,” added Keyli Loeppky, CFIB’s director of Alberta and interprovincial affairs. “We hope more governments can follow Alberta’s lead.”
In its media release, CFIB shared that it awarded an honourable mention to Winnipeg, Manitoba, for streamlining its permitting and development processes for businesses and residents alike.
According to CFIB, the city has modernized zoning bylaws, introduced over 35 permit exemptions for common projects, developed a digital platform consolidating applications, tracking, and payments, and provided a free online patio registration process for small organizations.
‘Ones to watch’
CFIB bestowed “ones to watch” awards on the Committee on Internal Trade (CIT) and the Ontario and BC governments for implementing or rolling out approaches aimed at cutting red tape.
“We commend these governments for taking unique approaches and going the extra mile in reducing red tape,” said Ryan Mallough, CFIB’s vice-president of legislative affairs. “We’ll be closely monitoring their efforts over the coming months.”
CFIB specifically recognized:
- CIT’s Canadian Mutual Recognition Agreement (CMRA), which aims to address internal trade barriers by permitting the sale of goods from one jurisdiction to another without additional testing, certifications, or approvals
- Ontario’s Regulatory Intelligence (REGi), North America’s first AI-powered tool to leverage a large language model for regulatory compliance identification, which is synced with Ontario’s e-laws to identify outdated, duplicative, and complex rules among the province’s over 3,500 statutes and regulations, thus reducing red tape across the provincial government
- BC’s Digitally Accelerated Standardized Housing (DASH), an online toolkit that aims to enable developers and non-profit organizations to build and design prefabricated homes swiftly and affordably while maintaining quality
“While policymakers can’t control global markets or inflation, they can lower costs and improve Canada’s productivity by reducing red tape,” Mallough said.
Vic Fedeli – Ontario’s minister of economic development, job creation, and trade – received the award for Ontario’s role in the CIT’s CMRA on the sale of goods, signed on Nov. 19, 2025, by the Canadian government and all provinces and territories, apart from the Yukon and Nunavut.
For Ontario, the CMRA will take effect on the same date as the regulation under the Ontario Free Trade and Mobility Act, 2025.
“The Canadian Mutual Recognition Agreement is a reflection of Ontario's ongoing leadership in supporting free trade across Canada and eliminating barriers that have cost Canada’s economy up to $200 billion every year,” Fedeli said in the media release.
“We commend Minister Fedeli and the Ontario government for their leadership on removing internal trade barriers at a time when new and expanded markets are so desperately needed,” added Julie Kwiecinski, CFIB’s Ontario director of provincial affairs. “All provinces must continue to work together to quickly knock down these costly, invisible walls.”
Meanwhile, Andrea Khanjin, Ontario’s minister of red tape reduction, accepted the award for REGi.
“Our new AI-powered tool, REGi – Regulatory Intelligence – is the first real-life AI application in Ontario’s regulatory space,” Khanjin said in CFIB’s media release. “REGi will support policymakers in identifying and eliminating burdensome regulations to keep Ontario competitive and innovative.”
“We congratulate Minister Khanjin and the Ontario government for leading the nation in red tape reduction innovation,” added Angela Drennan, CFIB’s Ontario vice president of legislative affairs. “We look forward to seeing the fruits of REGi’s labour in future Spring and Fall Red Tape Reduction packages.”