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Global News
a day ago
- Politics
- Global News
Bill 5 officially becomes law in Ontario as MPPs set to rise for summer
The lieutenant governor has granted royal assent to the Ford government's controversial mining legislation, among other bills, officially passing it into law at Queen's Park on Thursday. Just after midday, final sign-off was granted for Bill 5, or the Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act. The law will create so-called special economic zones where projects can bypass various provincial laws. The legislation has sparked a storm of backlash from First Nations leaders who are promising a summer of disruption and protests in response to a law they believe infringes on their treaty rights. As Progressive Conservative MPPs gave Bill 5 approval on its final reading Wednesday, the last legislative step, the galleries exploded with opposition, mainly from First Nations members who travelled to Toronto to watch. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'This fight is not over — we will meet you on the ground,' Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler told reporters after the bill passed third reading. 'He did not even have the guts to show up for the vote, and to me, that tells me he's a coward.' Story continues below advertisement The province has promised to consult with Indigenous leaders over the summer and not designate any areas as special economic zones until that process is complete. Indigenous leaders have said they won't co-operate. 'What an insult that is to consult us on something that's already been done,' Fiddler added, saying he would not be involved with consultations over the law the government plans to hold this summer. Others have warned that protests will take place over the summer — which could include highway blockades and protests at mines. The government also received royal assent for a number of other bills, including justice legislation that could arm special constables and a bill to clear encampments. They are also now law. Thursday is the final day of the legislative session at Queen's Park before MPPs return to their ridings for the summer. They are currently scheduled to return in the fall.
CTV News
2 days ago
- Politics
- CTV News
‘Diplomacy ends today': First Nations warn of protests over Ontario 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 Ontario Premier Doug Ford's government has given itself the power to suspend provincial and municipal laws for chosen projects in areas it deems to have economic importance, citing the need to speed up development of mines, but First Nations warn confrontation is brewing. Known as Bill 5, the legislation sparked a firestorm of anger among First Nations communities, who say it tramples their rights and ignores their concerns. It may have passed in the legislature Wednesday, but Indigenous leaders say the fight is just beginning. 'Our diplomacy ends today,' said NDP deputy leader Sol Mamakwa, who represents the northern Ontario riding of Kiiwetinoong that is home to many First Nations and the mineral-rich Ring of Fire region. 'You cannot trample on the rights of the people that live on these homelands and get away with it.' Ford has said the bill is needed to speed up large projects, particularly mines, in the face of U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war. Jeers from dozens of First Nations members echoed in the legislature as the bill was passed into law. Ford was not there for the final vote. Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler called the premier a 'coward.' 'This fight is not over, but we will meet you on the ground,' Fiddler said. 'He did not even have the guts to show up for the vote.' Ford was on a call with a Republican congressman during the vote, his office said. Lake Huron Regional Chief Scott McLeod said that shows where the premier's priorities lie. 'His priorities are not with the Indigenous people in this province,' he said. 'They're with business people, and he wants the resources that are in our territories. He's selling our minerals and our resources to Americans, to the world, without our permission and that is what we're not going to stand for.' The government had tried to amend the bill to explicitly include duty to consult provisions, but delay tactics at the committee stage by the Liberals meant that the Progressive Conservatives passed the legislation without that. Ford said earlier in the day that they would consult with First Nations over the summer, but that may now be in question. From now on, Fiddler said, Nishnawbe Aski Nation will not take him or his government seriously, nor will they engage with Indigenous Affairs Minister Greg Rickford. Fiddler called for his resignation. 'He is supposed to be representing Indigenous affairs for our nation, but he failed at every turn, and we will not work with him,' Fiddler said. 'We will not engage with him at all moving forward.' The legislation will create so-called 'special economic zones,' where the province could suspend laws in order to speed up projects such as mines, and the government has said the Ring of Fire would be the first such zone. Chris Moonias, the former chief of Neskantaga First Nation, suggested action will begin by preventing mining companies and others' access to their lands. 'We're going to shut down the Ring of Fire,' he said. 'Whatever that means, whatever we can do, we're going to shut it down. I promise you that.' Earlier in the day, Ford said blockades wouldn't be 'very wise.' 'You can't break the law,' Ford said. 'Simple as that. ... They need to move on or they'll be dealt with appropriately.' When asked to clarify his comments, Ford said he doesn't direct the police and any enforcement would be up to the Ontario Provincial Police or local police services. The premier wouldn't say if he would use the notwithstanding clause to save Bill 5 if it ends up being challenged and found unconstitutional in court. But he said that he would 'cross that bridge' when he comes to it. Civil liberty groups are livid at the prospect of effectively lawless zones, and unions have warned that labour laws would be under threat. The measure is part of an omnibus bill that makes a slew of other changes, including stripping protections for endangered and threatened species. Environmental groups and the Toronto Zoo have warned this will lead to extinctions. Farmers, who largely support the Progressive Conservative government, have also spoken out against the bill. The Ontario Federation of Agriculture said the broad powers 'could override vital protections for farmland and agricultural systems.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 4, 2025. Liam Casey and Allison Jones, The Canadian Press
Hamilton Spectator
30-05-2025
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Idle No More 2.0 will be ‘fierce' if Doug Ford moves ahead with Bill 5
First Nations leaders in northern Ontario are vowing an 'Idle No More 2.0' if the province passes Bill 5, legislation designed to speed up development without clear rules on Indigenous consultation and accommodation. 'If and when this becomes law, say next week or after that, there will be fierce resistance from our side,' Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler said on Thursday, representing the chiefs of 49 communities in the province's far north. 'I know my dear friend Anishinabek Nation Grand Council Chief Linda Debassige has said the same thing. 'This is what we're looking at: Idle No More 2.0.' Debassige referenced the 2012 movement that asserted Indigenous rights and sovereignty across Canada in response to federal omnibus legislation in a statement Anishinabek Nation issued on Tuesday. She urged Premier Doug Ford to immediately withdraw the controversial Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, saying, 'we caution the provincial government that should Bill 5 proceed in its current form, we will be idle no more.' That statement followed two days of deputations that chiefs and grand chiefs across the province made to the Standing Committee on the Interior over the past week. All of those deputations called for the government to scrap the bill and start again with consultation, while deputations referenced the possibility of demonstrations or direct action if the bill passes. First Nations argue the series of laws that Bill 5 amends, such as the Mining Act and the Endangered Species Act, comprise a legal regime on free, prior and informed consultation and accommodation. The bill proposes new 'special economic zones' the minister can designate without size or impact limitation, that would exempt developers from following defined regulations and protocols on Indigenous engagement. 'They need to provide more details, procedures and protocols with this duty to consult,' said Nibinamik (Summer Beaver First Nation) Chief Michael Sugarhead. 'When other development comes, such as mining engagement, that we've been having recently, our rights aren't really considered.' Nibinamik is located about 100 kilometres west of the 5,000-square-kilometre Ring of Fire mineral deposit, which Ford has said he will name as the first special economic zone. Twenty years after prospectors found the deposit, Sugarhead said Ontario still refuses to recognize nearby First Nations as full partners and he's concerned this legislation will deeply impact the land while leaving future generations in poverty.'How is this going to help our community? We live in third-world conditions and it's like that because of the government,' he said. Sugarhead said the residual effects of this are poor health, poor education, and poor standards of living. 'Reconciliation is imperative in this case, to have that meaningful partnership and participation in this type of development. If it's not there, I don't think that the people of the land will give their free, prior and informed consent.' Facing mounting opposition, Progressive Conservative committee members introduced 23 amendments to Bill 5 on Wednesday, including one that made explicit the government's commitment to abide by its constitutional responsibility to consult and 'affirmation of existing Aboriginal and treaty rights.' Nibinamik's lawyer, Zachary Davis, accused the Doug Ford Conservatives of committing 'lip service' to Indigenous rights, insisting the amendment is legally empty. 'The government's just admitting what is already true,' Davis said. 'These are constitutional obligations. It provides no certainty.' Sol Mamakwa , Kiiwetinoong NDP MPP and the only First Nations member of the Legislature, called the PC's amendments 'meaningless, unserious, and worse than useless,' while he accused the government of 'placing itself above and beyond the law.' Mamakwa introduced two separate motions in committee that would have seen hearings on Bill 5 take place in Thunder Bay and other parts of northern Ontario. PC committee members defeated them both. Indigenous minister Greg Rickford said during question period on Wednesday that consultation with First Nations will begin after the bill is passed. To that end, his government will introduce, 'Indigenous-led economic zones.' Rickford said in a statement to Ricochet Media that his office intends, 'to work throughout the summer in consultation with Indigenous partners to develop regulations to create new Indigenous-led economic zones as part of Bill 5. This amendment creating a new category of zone is at the request of some First Nations who, like us, want to build projects that will unlock economic prosperity for generations.' But Fiddler says Ontario has offered no direction or definition of what such a zone designation would entail. 'The impression we're getting is that they're just making things up on the fly,' Fiddler said. 'I think it's too late in the process to try to fix this bill with any kind of amendments, including creating Indigenous-led economic zones. We don't even know what that means.' The Mushkegowuk Council is meeting in Sault Ste. Marie to discuss the bill on Thursday, including representatives of Moose Cree First Nation. On April 9, Moose Cree Chief Peter Wesley stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Ontario energy minister Stephen Lecce to announce the construction of two new hydroelectric facilities that will generate 430 megawatts in the shared traditional territory with Taykwa Tagamou Nation. By the end of May, Ontario introduced Bill 5. Wesley couldn't believe it. 'We were involved from the very initial stages of the project and to have minister Lecce acknowledge that, wow, this is the groundwork of how it should be,' he said. 'What happened? To have Bill 5 come out, and 'we'll think about adding consultation as an afterthought?' It's not going to work. A few weeks ago, we thought we were on the right path. I don't know if that's there anymore.' Moose Cree has been expressing disapproval of a prospective niobium mine 25 kilometres up the North French River since 2019. Wesley says he has voiced his community's opposition to the project in written letters to both Ford and Rickford, but has received no Cree members took the train to demonstrate in Ottawa during the 2012 Idle No More movement. Wesley believes that if Bill 5 passes, his community will be prepared to stand up once more.'There might be a lot of civil unrest by First Nations again,' he said. 'We have some very outspoken members who will not stand for the North French to be touched – and they've made their views pretty clear.'
Canada Standard
30-05-2025
- Politics
- Canada Standard
Last-Minute Changes to Ontario Mining Bill Are Not Good Enough, First Nations Say
Last-minute changes to a controversial Ontario mining bill are not good enough and ignore a central plea to work together on drafting legislation, First Nations said Thursday. Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler of Nishnawbe Aski Nation, which represents 49 First Nations in northern Ontario, said the province should scrap Bill 5 and write a new law alongside Indigenous leaders that would allow for shared prosperity, The Canadian Press reports. "It's just way too late in the process. It's an insult to our leadershipfor the government to now come back to us with some proposed amendments," Fiddler said. "It's just not acceptable." The proposed law seeks to speed up the development of large projects such as mines, and while First Nations are not necessarily opposed to such moves, they want a seat at the decision-making table. Related: First Nations Angered at Being Elbowed Out as Provinces Fast-Track Projects The legislation proposes to create so-called "special economic zones" that would suspend provincial and municipal laws for certain projects. The province intends to name the Ring of Fire as the first such zone, but ministers leading the file have promised that affected First Nations will be consulted first. The legislation has sparked furor among First Nations who say it tramples their rights and ignores their concerns. Ontario Regional Chief Abram Benedict of the Chiefs of Ontario, which represents all 133 First Nations in the province, echoed Fiddler's sentiments. "We've heard clear from our communities they're not happy with the process," he said. "They really feel like it's undermining their rights and their jurisdiction and authority to their land, territory and resources. The government needs to rethink the process." The province is making amendments that would include explicit duty-to-consult provisions throughout the bill. It is also amending the bill to include Indigenous-led special economic zones at the request of some First Nations, though details about how that would work are sparse. The bill has also angered environmentalists as it would strip protections for endangered and threatened species and give more power to cabinet to determine which animals and plants can be placed on protected lists. Indigenous Affairs Minister Greg Rickford and Energy and Mines Minister Stephen Lecce promised to consult heavily this summer with First Nations, especially the ones in the Ring of Fire region, which is 450 kilometres north of Thunder Bay, Ont., and said to be replete with critical minerals. "We're fully committed to getting this right," Lecce said Thursday. The province has shown no sign of killing the bill. Three First Nations have signed shared prosperity agreements with the province as part of the process to build out the roads and infrastructure needed to get to and from the Eagle's Nest mine in the Ring of Fire. The roads will also connect two First Nations, Marten Falls and Webequie, to the provincial highway system. Both First Nation leaders say their member nations are not only disappointed, but furious at how the government went about crafting this bill. Fiddler reiterated a pledge many First Nations people have told him in recent days: that they will take the fight to the land if the bill becomes law. "There will be fierce resistance from our side," he said. He said he is at a loss to explain why the government wouldn't work with Indigenous leadership in advance on this legislation, since First Nations and the province have shared goals. He pointed to recent work with the solicitor general on legislation and regulations to designate the Nishnawbe Aski Police Service as an essential service and bring it under the Community Safety and Policing Act. That historic agreement will double the northern First Nation police force in size to more than 500 officers, and includes a $514-million funding agreement to modernize the force. "We were there with them right from day one," Fiddler said. Benedict and his leadership council are set to meet with Ford, Rickford and Lecce within the week, he said. He stressed that First Nations are not against development or mining and want to be partners. But they need a partner they can trust and that doesn't exist at the moment, he said. "Everybody wants to be part of the Canadian economy, part of the Ontario economy, wants to ensure that we are a safe, secure community," he said. "In order to achieve that, everybody has to be sitting at the table to have these conversations about how we can get there together." A filibuster by New Democrats and Liberals forced a delay in the committee process to adopt the bill, but the province still hopes to pass the bill into law next week. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 29, 2025. Source: The Energy Mix
National Post
29-05-2025
- Business
- National Post
Randall Denley: Ontario ends the Ring of Fire 'consultation' quagmire to finally get it done
Ontario Premier Doug Ford wants to break up the status quo of process, endless consultation and delay that has bogged down major infrastructure project approvals in the province. It's about time. Article content Ford's Bill 5, the Protect Ontario by Unleashing Our Economy Act, aims to speed things up by creating 'special economic zones' that would exempt big projects from many municipal and provincial rules. The bill would allow cabinet to designate those zones and decide what rules apply. Article content Article content It can take a big club to break up the status quo. Bill 5 is certainly such a club, and no one swings one quite like Ford. This is his 'Get It Done' mantra in action. Article content Article content Ford aims to use the new rules to get development started in the Ring of Fire, a promising mining area in the Hudson's Bay lowlands that occupies about 5,000 square kilometres and is rich in nickel, chromite, platinum, palladium and copper. The land is a combination of federal and provincial Crown land and Indigenous reserve land. Article content Naturally, the idea of government approving anything expeditiously is strange and shocking to some Ontarians. Ford's plan to develop the area without years of additional study and consultation has enraged environmental and certain Indigenous groups, who fundamentally oppose anything that would alter the natural world. The provincial NDP and Liberal parties are also furious. Article content Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation is predicting 'conflict on the ground' with actions that will land protesters in jail. The Chiefs of Ontario, representing the province's 133 First Nations, says the bill should be killed and the process should start with consultation with Indigenous Peoples. Article content Article content New Democrat MPP Sol Mamakwa, who represents the mining area, anticipates blockages of mines and roads. NDP Leader Marit Stiles wants the whole bill scrapped, and Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie calls it a 'power grab.' Article content Article content To these groups, Bill 5 is another Doug Ford outrage, and yet Prime Minister Mark Carney has said he will introduce federal legislation that is remarkably similar to Ford's. It will offer fast-tracked approval in two years and reduced regulations for major infrastructure projects like Ontario's Ring of Fire, which Ford has identified as his top priority for the new federal approach. Article content The issue in Ontario, if there is one, is that the first version of the bill did not explicitly cite Indigenous People's constitutional right to consultation, a shortcoming that has since been remedied.
