Media Statement - Bill 5 Must Be Withdrawn
We acknowledge that there are 46 treaties and other agreements that cover the territory now called Ontario and our roles and responsibilities as Treaty partners. We recognize the inherent rights and responsibilities of Indigenous Nations, who have cared for and governed Turtle Island since time immemorial
TORONTO, June 3, 2025 /CNW/ - On May 22 and May 26, the Canadian Union of Public Employees – Ontario (CUPE Ontario), Ecojustice, Friends of Attawapiskat River, Neskantaga First Nation, Ontario Nature, the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers (OSPE), Toronto Zoo and Wildlands League expressed our concerns and recommendations with the Government of Ontario's proposed Bill 5 to the Standing Committee on the Interior. Collectively, we believe that economic resilience can and must go hand in hand with Indigenous rights and sovereignty, robust democratic institutions, sound engineering practices, labour laws and strong environmental standards.
Bill 5 is sweeping legislation that concentrates unprecedented powers in the hands of provincial ministers without proper checks and balances. It removes independent, science-based decision-making regarding Ontario's most vulnerable species and weakens protections for their habitats. It fast tracks two politically selected projects – a mine in northern Ontario and a landfill in southwestern Ontario, without requiring comprehensive environmental assessments. The proposed "special economic zones" could be created anywhere in the province, suspending all existing laws and regulations related to labour conditions, health and safety, employment and environmental standards.
Fundamentally, Bill 5 disregards the inherent and constitutionally protected rights of Indigenous Peoples. The provincial government could unilaterally fast-track projects by bypassing the free, prior and informed consent of First Nations. The recent amendments to include Duty to Consult provisions do not address these concerns.
For Ontario to keep its competitive attractiveness, economic development must be guided by Indigenous collaboration, transparency, technical and scientific expertise, and environmental stewardship. A resilient economy depends on predictable regulatory frameworks, long-term planning and respect for Indigenous rights and democratic norms.
The Government of Ontario is limiting democratic debate on Bill 5 in the legislature and has had no time to meaningfully consider comments received through the Environmental Registry of Ontario to justify ramming this bill through.
We urge the Government of Ontario to immediately withdraw Bill 5 and sit down with Indigenous nations, labour groups, engineers, scientists, environmental organizations, industry and residents of Ontario to collaboratively develop evidence-based, inclusive and sustainable solutions for a prosperous Ontario.
SOURCE Ontario Nature
View original content: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/June2025/03/c8631.html
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
15 minutes ago
- Yahoo
CUPE Alberta Calls on Minister Nicolaides to Prevent Education Crisis After Federal Funding Cuts
EDMONTON, Alberta, June 06, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CUPE Alberta is sounding the alarm over a looming crisis in the province's K–12 education system as hundreds of educational assistants (EAs) across the province face job losses following the withdrawal of most of the federal Jordan's Principle funding for non-reserve schools. Jordan's Principle is a federal policy intended to ensure First Nations children receive the services they need without delay, including in education, health care, and social services. In Alberta, this funding has helped support educational assistants in public schools, benefiting both Indigenous and non-Indigenous students. In a powerful open letter sent to Minister of Education and Childcare Demetrios Nicolaides, Wendy Harman, President of CUPE 5543, warned that the cuts would be "catastrophic" for students with complex learning needs, behavioural challenges, and those on Individualized Education Plans. "This will devastate our Alberta schools," wrote Harman. "Now, we are actively choosing to let more children fall through the cracks, and those cracks are growing into chasms." Harman cited alarming figures from Parkland School Division, where some schools will see their EA staffing slashed by more than half, dropping from 11 assistants to just 5 for student populations of over 600. "Our EAs are not 'extras,'" she continued. "They are qualified professionals who de-escalate crisis situations, manage diverse learning needs, and play a critical role in allowing classroom teachers to teach." CUPE Alberta President Raj Uppal echoed the concerns and called on the provincial government to immediately step in with targeted funding to protect front-line education supports. "Educational assistants are the backbone of inclusive classrooms," said Uppal. "When we cut EAs, we fail students who need support the most. The Minister must act now, because these cuts affect every student in Alberta who relies on additional help to succeed." CUPE Alberta is urging the province to demonstrate real leadership by reversing the EA cuts, restoring jobs, and investing in a public education system that supports all children. clc/cope 491 View source version on Contacts Erin RolfsonCommunications Representativeerolfson@ | 403.795.5678 Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Hamilton Spectator
17 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Ford government proposes major rollback of Blue Box recycling rules
The Ford government has quietly proposed major changes to Ontario's Blue Box recycling program — changes advocates say will increase pollution, reduce accountability for waste producers and place more costs on renters and municipalities. The new rules would delay key recycling targets by five years, giving producers until 2031 to meet recovery goals for materials like paper, plastic, metal, glass and beverage containers. Those targets had been set to take effect in 2026. The proposed changes would eliminate rules requiring producers to collect packaging waste from apartments, long-term care homes, retirement homes and schools without municipal pickup. Beverage companies would no longer be responsible for containers consumed outside the home. The plan would also allow producers to burn non-recyclable plastic in incinerators or cement kilns and still count it as recycling. The Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks says the changes are intended to manage 'higher than expected cost growth' and ensure a 'stable and sustainable' blue box system during the province's transition to full producer responsibility. The government would allow producers up to 15 per cent of recycling targets to be met by burning non-recyclable plastic waste in incinerators or cement kilns. Under the province's Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act, producers — including brand owners, retailers and importers — are required to manage recycling programs for packaging and single-use items. The current changes would weaken the 2021 regulations that aimed to shift this responsibility away from municipalities and onto the companies that create waste. Critics say the proposal marks a dramatic reversal of more than a decade of progress on waste reduction and recycling in the province. Karen Wirsig, senior program manager at Environmental Defence, said the changes would increase plastic pollution, promote incineration and burden communities with more garbage, all while letting major producers — like grocery chains and beverage companies — off the hook. 'The government is betraying Ontarians by seeking to reverse requirements that would have reduced single-use and unrecyclable plastics and to delay enforcement of these — now weakened — rules for another five years,' Wirsig said. The Ford government's proposal comes just a day after it passed the controversial Bill 5 , which also fast-tracks large waste facility approval under the claim that Ontario is facing a landfill crisis. 'From the moves this week, it is clear that the premier and the government think more garbage, more dumps and more waste-burners are good for Ontario,' Wirsig said, calling it a coordinated shift toward deregulation that benefits producers and the waste industry at the expense of environmental health and ordinary Ontarians. The government also proposes slashing the recycling target for flexible plastic packaging, such as food wrappers and plastic bags, from 25 per cent to just five per cent. The ministry says industry stakeholders argue these materials are costly, hard to recycle and often contaminate other recyclables. Komal Habib, an associate professor at the University of Waterloo and expert in industrial ecology, said delaying recovery targets by five years is excessive and risks weakening Ontario's circular economy goals. 'It's too long of a transition time to allow producers to plan and make investments for collection and recycling activities,' Habib said. On the decision to exclude multi-residential buildings and public spaces from producer collection responsibilities, Habib said it could have serious consequences. These sites produce a growing share of urban waste, especially in cities like Toronto and Waterloo — leaving them out of the system could hamper progress toward circular economy goals. Ontario is still dumping billions of bottles and cans, while other provinces profit from a deposit-return recycling system. Despite 81 per cent of Ontarians supporting such a system, last year the Ford government scrapped the non-alcoholic drink container deposit-return program, citing cost concerns 'for small businesses and families,' without providing any estimates. Big retailers and consumer brands have been lobbying the Ford government to weaken Ontario's Blue Box rules, claiming recycling costs are too high. Last year, in a joint letter , several Ontario municipal organizations raised concerns about industry lobbying for changes to the province's Blue Box Regulation, warning it could undermine the goals of extended producer responsibility and shift costs back onto municipalities. Ontario NDP environment critic Peter Tabuns said the Ford government's decision to delay recycling targets and loosen producer obligations is a clear example of corporate influence overriding public interest. He argued that big companies have had more than a decade to develop less wasteful packaging but failed to act. Tabuns said the idea behind extended producer responsibility was to force innovation by making polluters pay, but the changes signal a retreat from that principle. He added that the government's decision to allow incineration to count toward recycling targets would worsen climate emissions and increase toxic pollution. Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner said the government is effectively dismantling a system that was meant to make waste producers accountable and encourage less packaging waste. Instead, he warned, the rollback will lead to more garbage, higher costs for taxpayers and missed opportunities to build a circular economy. Ontario should be moving toward strict producer responsibility, zero waste targets, and greater inclusion of commercial and multi-residential buildings in recycling programs, not backing away from them, he said. A more effective approach would be to reduce the delay to no more than two years and push producers to invest in infrastructure, Habib suggested. She also urged the government to fund academic research to evaluate whether current recovery targets are realistic and sustainable. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Business Wire
19 minutes ago
- Business Wire
CUPE Alberta Calls on Minister Nicolaides to Prevent Education Crisis After Federal Funding Cuts
EDMONTON, Alberta--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CUPE Alberta is sounding the alarm over a looming crisis in the province's K–12 education system as hundreds of educational assistants (EAs) across the province face job losses following the withdrawal of most of the federal Jordan's Principle funding for non-reserve schools. Jordan's Principle is a federal policy intended to ensure First Nations children receive the services they need without delay, including in education, health care, and social services. In Alberta, this funding has helped support educational assistants in public schools, benefiting both Indigenous and non-Indigenous students. In a powerful open letter sent to Minister of Education and Childcare Demetrios Nicolaides, Wendy Harman, President of CUPE 5543, warned that the cuts would be 'catastrophic' for students with complex learning needs, behavioural challenges, and those on Individualized Education Plans. 'This will devastate our Alberta schools,' wrote Harman. 'Now, we are actively choosing to let more children fall through the cracks, and those cracks are growing into chasms.' Harman cited alarming figures from Parkland School Division, where some schools will see their EA staffing slashed by more than half, dropping from 11 assistants to just 5 for student populations of over 600. 'Our EAs are not 'extras,'' she continued. 'They are qualified professionals who de-escalate crisis situations, manage diverse learning needs, and play a critical role in allowing classroom teachers to teach.' CUPE Alberta President Raj Uppal echoed the concerns and called on the provincial government to immediately step in with targeted funding to protect front-line education supports. 'Educational assistants are the backbone of inclusive classrooms,' said Uppal. 'When we cut EAs, we fail students who need support the most. The Minister must act now, because these cuts affect every student in Alberta who relies on additional help to succeed.' CUPE Alberta is urging the province to demonstrate real leadership by reversing the EA cuts, restoring jobs, and investing in a public education system that supports all children. clc/cope 491
