Sources tell The Canadian Press the deal will be signed Thursday, and will let the federal government rely on Ontario environmental and regulatory assessments for projects under provincial jurisdiction. (The Canadian Press)

Talking point: The agreement could be significant for mining projects in the critical-mineral rich Ring of Fire region. Ontario Premier Doug Ford is keen to reap the economic benefits, despite opposition from some First Nations in the region. He plans to designate the area as a “special economic zone” to speed up project approvals, potentially exempting them from some laws and regulations. During the spring election, Prime Minister Mark Carney promised to adopt a “one project, one review” approach to approving infrastructure and resource projects within six months of taking office as a way to ease the often repetitive regulatory burden on project proponents. So far, Ottawa inked a deal with New Brunswick, and developed draft agreements with Ontario, Manitoba and P.E.I.