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CTV News
a day ago
- Business
- CTV News
Hundreds of First Nations members protest Ontario mining bill at Queen's Park
Controversy continues to grow over the Ford government's Bill 5 as opposition leaders and First Nations groups raise their concerns. Siobhan Morris reports. TORONTO — Ontario Premier Doug Ford's government is pushing through a controversial mining bill despite the protests of several hundred First Nations members who came from the far north to the front lawn of Queen's Park on Monday. The province has moved to shut down debate on a mining law known as Bill 5 that would give the government power to suspend provincial and municipal laws for chosen projects in areas they deem to have economic importance – and remove some endangered species protections. The proposed legislation has sparked an angry backlash from First Nations who say the bill tramples their rights and ignores their concerns. The government is speeding up the passage of a plethora of bills before the legislature rises later this week for a summer break. Indigenous Affairs Minister Greg Rickford says the province will pass the bill into law this week, which is when he and the government will begin consultations with First Nations in earnest. First Nation leaders say the fight will come to the land if Ontario does not alter course. 'Our rights are not for sale,' said Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse. The crowd chanted 'kill Bill 5, kill Bill 5' while politicians inside the legislature debated a motion to speed up the bill. A legislative committee heard from First Nations leaders and environmental groups, as well as mining groups, over two days and as the committee was considering amendments last week the NDP and Liberals used procedural tools to grind the process to a halt, in protest. Government house leader Steve Clark is now stepping in to limit further committee time and require the bill to go back to the house for third reading, with just one hour of debate, and a final vote that same day. While Bill 5 got two days of committee hearings, the six other pieces of legislation the government is speeding up have had no hearings, and will have as little as half an hour of third-reading debate, with just nine minutes each allotted to the two recognized opposition parties. New Democrat Sol Mamakwa, the legislature's lone First Nations member, said Ford was 'telling untruths' about his people's approval of the mining bill. Speaker Donna Skelly asked him to withdraw the comment, which Mamakwa refused to do so she booted him from question period. The opposition parties say pushing bills through without much public consultation or debate is undemocratic. The NDP's Opposition house leader, John Vanthof, spoke in a debate last week over the government limiting debate and bypassing committee for four bills – including the budget bill – in what's called a time allocation motion. 'What's happening now with the time allocation, specifically on four bills, is removing the right of the people to speak, and in many ways, the opposition to speak,' Vanthof said. 'You actually don't need a parliament. We're actually almost going back to where you have, like, a king. That's truly scary. I'm not opposed to the monarchy as a figurehead, but we came very far in our democracies to actually have parliaments. What the government is doing is basically making the premier the king.' Vanthof stressed the seriousness of the matter, though he had the opposition benches laughing while he was reading out quotes from government house leader Steve Clark, upset about time allocation motions when he was in opposition. 'My party loves to hear from people,' Clark said in the waning days of the former Liberal government. 'If this government doesn't want to listen to people, I'll give them a guarantee. I'll give them, actually, the people's guarantee, because we will listen to them, and we will ensure that those Ontarians are being listened to.' Clark, who during that 2017 debate called such motions 'anti-democratic,' said last week that the younger Steve Clark was 'maybe more brash and abrupt,' defending the current moves. 'The government has decided that these four bills are very important for us,' he said. 'There needs to be certainty from the government's government decides that they're going to prioritize certain things, the government is going to move forward with those legislations. That's my message.' However much the former Liberal government shut down debate, the Progressive Conservative government is a worse offender, Vanthof said. 'Two time allocation votes in a day was probably the previous record for the travesty to democracy, probably the previous record, and that was held by the Liberals,' he said. 'But this government is so efficient, including destroying the democratic process, that they put four bills, including a budget, in one time allocation motion.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 2, 2025. Allison Jones, The Canadian Press
CTV News
5 days ago
- Automotive
- CTV News
Sudbury BEV conference highlights mining, trade tensions
The fourth annual Battery Electric Vehicle conference got underway with a dinner at Science North on Wednesday evening. Hundreds from Canada's mining and automotive sectors gathered in Greater Sudbury this week for the fourth annual Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) In Depth: Mines to Mobility conference, where geopolitical tensions and workforce challenges dominated discussions. The event opened with remarks from Priya Tandon, president of the Ontario Mining Association, who emphasized the need to attract younger workers to an aging industry. START OF BEV Annual Battery Electric Vehicle Depth: Mines to Mobility conference kicked off with remarks from Priya Tandon. (Amanada Hicks/CTV News) 'We have a lot of folks retiring. We have a workforce that's aging,' Tandon said. 'We want to ensure that the 22,000 people working in mining right now continues and grows, and we attract youth to the sector as well.' Trade relations between Canada and the U.S. were a key focus, with industry leaders urging diversification. Tandon stressed mining's economic importance amid ongoing federal-provincial trade talks, while Daniel Breton, president of Electric Mobility Canada, called for expanded global partnerships. 'We've been so focused on sending natural resources south of the border,' Breton said. 'Now we have to refine them, transport them locally, and look to Europe and other markets.' Ontario Indigenous Affairs Minister Greg Rickford also spoke, highlighting the need for consultation with First Nations as the province moves forward with Bill 5. 'The debate is healthy, and hopefully it stays that way,' Rickford said. 'Once consultations are done, we think we have the building blocks for solid, substantive participation with First Nations.' Cambrian College, a conference organizer, estimated 300 attendees, consistent with past years. Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) In Depth: Mines to Mobility Hundreds descended on Timmins, Ont. as the fourth annual Battery Electric Vehicle In Depth: Mines to Mobility conference, where geopolitical tensions and workfo. The event concluded Thursday.
National Observer
6 days ago
- Politics
- National Observer
Ontario promises to amend mining bill, add Indigenous economic zones amid First Nations uproar
Premier Doug Ford's government is set to capitulate to some First Nation demands on a controversial mining bill, though it will not kill the proposed law outright, The Canadian Press has learned. Indigenous Affairs Minister Greg Rickford and Mining Minister Stephen Lecce say the province will amend Bill 5 to explicitly include duty to consult provisions throughout the bill. The bill, which seeks to speed up mining projects, is set to go through amendments Wednesday at committee as it moves towards becoming law. The new law would create so-called "special economic zones" where it can suspend provincial and municipal projects, but will also add in "special Indigenous economic zones" at the request of First Nations for projects they want fast-tracked. The province is set to designate the Ring of Fire in northern Ontario as the first such zone, a move that has set off a firestorm of anger among First Nations, many of which have pledged to take the fight to the land. But Rickford and Lecce say the province will not designate the Ring of Fire a special economic zone until it meaningfully consults with all First Nations in the area. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 28, 2025.
CTV News
7 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Ontario to amend mining bill, add Indigenous economic zones amid First Nations uproar
A stream runs along the outskirts of Neskantaga First Nation in Neskantaga, Ont., Sunday, Aug. 20, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young TORONTO — Premier Doug Ford's government is set to capitulate to some First Nation demands on a controversial mining bill, though it will not kill the proposed law outright, The Canadian Press has learned. Indigenous Affairs Minister Greg Rickford and Mining Minister Stephen Lecce say the province will amend Bill 5 to explicitly include duty to consult provisions throughout the bill. The bill, which seeks to speed up mining projects, is set to go through amendments Wednesday at committee as it moves towards becoming law. The new law would create so-called 'special economic zones' where it can suspend provincial and municipal projects, but will also add in 'special Indigenous economic zones' at the request of First Nations for projects they want fast-tracked. The province is set to designate the Ring of Fire in northern Ontario as the first such zone, a move that has set off a firestorm of anger among First Nations, many of which have pledged to take the fight to the land. But Rickford and Lecce say the province will not designate the Ring of Fire a special economic zone until it meaningfully consults with all First Nations in the area. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 28, 2025. Liam Casey, The Canadian Press
CBC
7 days ago
- Business
- CBC
Ontario to amend controversial Bill 5, add duty to consult provisions amid First Nations uproar
Premier Doug Ford's government is set to capitulate to some First Nation demands on a controversial mining bill, though it will not kill the proposed law outright, The Canadian Press has learned. Indigenous Affairs Minister Greg Rickford and Mining Minister Stephen Lecce say the province will amend Bill 5 to explicitly include duty to consult provisions throughout the bill. The bill, which seeks to speed up mining projects, is set to go through amendments Wednesday at committee as it moves towards becoming law. The new law would create so-called "special economic zones" where it can suspend provincial and municipal projects, but will also add in "special Indigenous economic zones" at the request of First Nations for projects they want fast-tracked. The province is set to designate the Ring of Fire in northern Ontario as the first such zone, a move that has set off a firestorm of anger among First Nations, many of which have pledged to take the fight to the land. But Rickford and Lecce say the province will not designate the Ring of Fire a special economic zone until it meaningfully consults with all First Nations in the area. "We are going to enunciate explicitly in each one that the duty to consult is there and it will be upheld to the highest standards," Rickford said. "The aim is to make First Nations partners." Once the bill is passed, likely next week, Ford, Rickford and Lecce will meet immediately with First Nation leadership, they said. First Nations chiefs say bill should be killed outright First Nation chiefs have shown up en masse at Queen's Park from the far reaches of northern Ontario to tell the politicians that the province is going about this in the wrong way. They say the government has already failed in its duty to consult. The Chiefs of Ontario, which represents all 133 First Nations in the province, said the bill should be killed outright so they can be consulted from the start. Their leader, Ontario Regional Chief Abram Benedict, met with Ford last week at the premier's home, where he told him about the problems with the bill. WATCH | Ontario First Nations leaders say communities will take a stand if bill passes: First Nation leaders tell Ford government to kill Bill 5 2 days ago Duration 2:14 Critics of Doug Ford's Bill 5 say the proposed law would gut environmental protections for wildlife and infringe on treaty rights. As CBC's Mike Crawley reports, Ontario First Nations leaders are now warning of 'conflict on the ground' if it passes. That meeting touched off talks with numerous First Nation chiefs, in which the ministers said they planned to work together with them to create the regulations that will enforce the new law. "We will not use the authorities like a special economic zone until we've meaningfully consulted," Lecce said. The ministers say they've received a number of great suggestions from First Nations. Rickford and Lecce say there are large infrastructure projects they want to complete to help some remote First Nations get off diesel gas that they use for electricity generation. They are also proposing to help build roads to connect communities to the provincial highway system, since climate change is wreaking havoc with winter ice roads the communities rely on to haul in all sorts of goods.
