Two First Nations working on roads to Ring of Fire do not support new mining law
TORONTO – Two First Nations in and around the Ring of Fire that signed deals with the provincial government are speaking out against a new Ontario law.
Aroland First Nation Chief Sonny Gagnon says his community objects to the law known as Bill 5, which seeks to speed up development, particularly mining projects.
The legislation passed last week allows Ontario to suspend provincial and municipal laws by creating so-called special economic zones for certain projects it chooses.
Ontario intends to name the mineral-rich Ring of Fire as the first such zone, but the law has created a firestorm of anger among many First Nations.
Aroland signed a shared-prosperity agreement with the province in January for major upgrades to roads that lead to the Ring of Fire, but Gagnon says they have never given consent to mine the region.
Monday Mornings
The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week.
Marten Falls First Nation also has an agreement with the province as it leads the development of another proposed road to the area, and its chief says he cannot support the law as it is written — though he hopes Ontario can correct course with consultation.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 9, 2025.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Global News
40 minutes ago
- Global News
Public divided on Bill 5 but say Indigenous rights are more important than speed: poll
Public sentiment is divided on the Ford government's controversial new mining law, according to fresh polling, which indicates people are in favour of speeding up projects but not at the expense of First Nation rights or labour laws. New polling from Liason Strategies for the National Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada gauged the mood of Ontarians as the government passed Bill 5 into law. The legislation makes a number of changes, among them is the power for the government to create so-called special economic zones, where municipal, environmental or labour laws could be bypassed. The government has indicated the Ring of Fire will be one such area, potentially along with Highway 401 and Ontario's fleet of nuclear power stations. The law's passage at Queen's Park last week sparked a storm of protests and backlash from First Nations leaders, who fear it will infringe on their rights and labour unions, who worry about workers' rights. Story continues below advertisement First Nations groups, in particular, have promised a summer of disruption in response to the legislation — potentially blocking railways, highways and mines in the north. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Liaison's polling shows public opinion on the legislation itself is evenly split. About half of those polled (49 per cent) said they were following the legislation somewhat or very closely as it passed through the legislature. Opinion of its value was also split. Forty-four per cent of those polled said they were in favour of it, while 41 per cent said they were opposed. Fifteen per cent of people said they were unsure. 'Given the poll's margin of error, this is a pretty close result,' David Valentin, principal at Liason Strategies, said in an interview on Focus Ontario. 'It's not probably where the premier wants to see it, which is somewhere closer to 60 or 65 per cent, but it's also not where the opposition would like to see it, with overwhelming opposition. So, we've got a sort of mixed result.' The poll also asked people to rank various issues against the importance of fast-tracking key construction projects. Sixty-three per cent of respondents said fast-tracking was more important than municipal bylaws, and 58 per cent favoured speeding up projects over following environmental regulations. Story continues below advertisement On the other hand, 64 per cent of people said respecting Indigenous rights was more important than speeding up projects, and 56 per cent of those polled said it was more important to follow labour laws than to speed up projects. The polling points to public opinion sitting behind two groups who have been most vocal in their opposition to Bill 5. 'It shows you that when it comes to Indigenous leaders and labour leaders, they've gotten their message out, their message has resonated, and Ontarians agree with them: Yeah, you can speed up the process, but you're not going to suspend labour laws,' Valentin said. Last week, Bill 5 received Royal Assent and became law, with Ontario Premier Doug Ford saying he wants to designate the Ring of Fire as a special economic zone 'as quickly as possible.' At the same time, the government is promising to consult with First Nations leaders before any major changes are made using the new powers. Valentin said the lack of examples for what a special economic zone will be was potentially making it harder for people to form a strong opinion in favour or against the legislation. 'What does it actually mean? Which regulations, which laws are going to be suspended? Which groups are ultimately going to be impacted?' he said. 'They've written the law so they can do a lot of things — OK, what are the specifics of that going to be? I think that might be why people perhaps have a hard time understanding what the ultimate effects of the bill are.'
CTV News
43 minutes ago
- CTV News
Two First Nations working on roads to Ring of Fire do not support new mining law
Protesters and community members chant and wave signs, as they listen to speakers during a demonstration opposing Bill 5, outside the Ontario Legislature at Queen's Park in Toronto, Monday, June 2, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston TORONTO — Two First Nations in and around the Ring of Fire that signed deals with the provincial government are speaking out against a new Ontario law. Aroland First Nation Chief Sonny Gagnon says his community objects to the law known as Bill 5, which seeks to speed up development, particularly mining projects. The legislation passed last week allows Ontario to suspend provincial and municipal laws by creating so-called special economic zones for certain projects it chooses. Ontario intends to name the mineral-rich Ring of Fire as the first such zone, but the law has created a firestorm of anger among many First Nations. Aroland signed a shared-prosperity agreement with the province in January for major upgrades to roads that lead to the Ring of Fire, but Gagnon says they have never given consent to mine the region. Marten Falls First Nation also has an agreement with the province as it leads the development of another proposed road to the area, and its chief says he cannot support the law as it is written — though he hopes Ontario can correct course with consultation. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 9, 2025. Liam Casey, The Canadian Press
Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
GST relief on new homes could save 1st-time buyers up to $240 on mortgages: report
OTTAWA – A new analysis says first-time Canadian homebuyers could save up to $240 on their monthly mortgage payments through the federal government's proposal to waive the sales tax on new builds. Desjardins Economics says in a new report that the impact on housing affordability will be 'particularly strong' for buyers in Canada's more expensive markets, like Toronto and Vancouver. The Liberal government has tabled legislation to eliminate the GST portion from new home sales of up to $1 million for first-time buyers, which works out to as much as $50,000 off the cost of a new build or substantially renovated unit. For homes sold above $1 million, the GST relief is phased out as the price tag nears $1.5 million. But Desjardins also cautions that the policy could drive up demand for housing, which in the near-term could push up home prices if not coupled with other efforts to boost supply. Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. Parliament has yet to pass the legislation, which the Liberals introduced alongside the government's pledge to cut income taxes starting July 1. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 9, 2025.
