Latest news with #InfrastructureProjectsAct
Global News
6 days ago
- Politics
- Global News
BC NDP's contentious fast-track legislation passes in tight vote
The BC NDP government's contentious bill to fast-track infrastructure projects has passed despite concerted opposition. Bill 15, the Infrastructure Projects Act, would allow the province to speed up major projects deemed of provincial importance by overriding certain permit and regulatory requirements. On Wednesday evening, the legislation narrowly passed in the Legislature with a 47-46 vote. The tie was broken by speaker Raj Chouhan. The bill has been met with major pushback by First Nations and municipalities, who argue it will allow the province to steamroll local decision-making and dodge Indigenous consultation. 1:45 Municipalities, First Nations team up to oppose provincial development bill Prior to the vote, Infrastructure Minister Bowinn Ma said the government would press ahead with the legislation, telling reporters on Wednesday it was too important to leave to the fall. Story continues below advertisement 'The urgency for the Infrastructure Projects Act will be clear to any parent who is struggling to enroll their child in the school of their choice close to home, only to find that school is completely bursting,' she said. 'We have seen an enormous growth in populations, and communities are calling on us to move things as quickly as possible.' The vote and legislation threatens to imperil a relationship with First Nations that B.C.'s NDP government has spent years building. 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 The New Democrats enshrined the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in B.C. law, and have put Indigenous ownership and participation at the forefront of their clean energy and mining plans. But numerous First Nations leaders say pushing forward will cause lasting damage. 2:17 B.C.'s Bill 15 under fire from Indigeous leaders 'We just cannot tolerate how this is happening in terms of the bill being rammed forward without the proper consultation, without the free, prior and informed consent from First Nations,' said Robert Philips, a member of the First Nations Summit political executive. Story continues below advertisement 'When we have bills like this that will be in place for decades and decades, but potentially a government that will only be in place for four years, we don't know what is going to happen — so when the premier says to trust us, we find that very difficult to do.' Ma, who previously acknowledged that the government had erred by failing to adequately consult First Nations in drafting the legislation, has pledged that the province would enshrine a commitment to consultation and collaboration with nations when the regulations that the legislation empowers are drafted. She added that First Nations will be involved in the drafting of the definition of what constitutes a 'provincially significant project.' As for the damaged trust? 'There will be bumps along the way. Relationships are complicated, challenging, and worthwhile to build, develop and hold onto. And when there are rifts, we've got to work together,' Ma said. 'We have done a ton of work, incredible things with First Nations in all sorts of files across the province, in all sorts of sectors, and I believe there is more work for us to do, and we are continuing to commit to that work.' 2:01 B.C. outlines plan to fast track mining in northwest region of province But the NDP is facing opposition on multiple fronts, with pushback from municipal leaders who agree with the need to speed up projects — but not at the expense of local decision-making. Story continues below advertisement 'They are taking away the voice of municipal governments, which I think is totally wrong. Yes, I agree to fast-track infrastructure, hospitals, schools; we need that. But isn't that their job anyway?' said Chilliwack Mayor Ken Popove. 'If they want to come in and change the way we do business? Stay out of my town, we'll take care of our own town, you guys do your business, and I'll do mine.' BC Conservative Leader John Rustad, meanwhile, said the New Democrats have created a mess for themselves by trying to insert the government into the economy. 'What concerns me the most is the government picking winners and losers,' Rustad said. 'What he is doing is he has created all the problems and wants to bypass it.' The bill also saw some last-minute fencing between the governing NDP and its sometimes partner, the BC Green Party. Opposition from a Green MLA scuttled an NDP attempt to amend the bill to enshrine First Nations consultation in law earlier this week. A subsequent 11th-hour attempt by the Greens to delay voting on the bill was defeated by the NDP.
Global News
6 days ago
- Politics
- Global News
BC NDP's contentious fast-track legislation headed for critical vote
The BC NDP government's contentious bill to fast-track infrastructure projects is up for a vote Wednesday night, and the party is pressing forward despite concerted opposition. Bill 15, the Infrastructure Projects Act, would allow the province to speed up major projects deemed of provincial importance by overriding certain permit and regulatory requirements. The bill has been met with major pushback by First Nations and municipalities, who argue it will allow the province to steamroll local decision-making and dodge Indigenous consultation. 1:45 Municipalities, First Nations team up to oppose provincial development bill Despite that, Infrastructure Minister Bowinn Ma said the government is pressing ahead with a vote on the legislation, telling reporters on Wednesday it was too important to leave to the fall. Story continues below advertisement 'The urgency for the Infrastructure Projects Act will be clear to any parent who is struggling to enroll their child in the school of their choice close to home, only to find that school is completely bursting,' she said. 'We have seen an enormous growth in populations, and communities are calling on us to move things as quickly as possible.' The vote threatens to imperil a relationship with First Nations that B.C.'s NDP government has spent years building. The New Democrats enshrined the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in B.C. law, and have put Indigenous ownership and participation at the forefront of their clean energy and mining plans. 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 But numerous First Nations leaders say pushing forward will cause lasting damage. 2:17 B.C.'s Bill 15 under fire from Indigeous leaders 'We just cannot tolerate how this is happening in terms of the bill being rammed forward without the proper consultation, without the free, prior and informed consent from First Nations,' said Robert Philips, a member of the First Nations Summit political executive. Story continues below advertisement 'When we have bills like this that will be in place for decades and decades, but potentially a government that will only be in place for four years, we don't know what is going to happen — so when the premier says to trust us, we find that very difficult to do.' Ma, who previously acknowledged that the government had erred by failing to adequately consult First Nations in drafting the legislation, has pledged that the province would enshrine a commitment to consultation and collaboration with nations when the regulations that the legislation empowers are drafted. She added that First Nations will be involved in the drafting of the definition of what constitutes a 'provincially significant project.' As for the damaged trust? 'There will be bumps along the way. Relationships are complicated, challenging, and worthwhile to build, develop and hold onto. And when there are rifts, we've got to work together,' Ma said. 'We have done a ton of work, incredible things with First Nations in all sorts of files across the province, in all sorts of sectors, and I believe there is more work for us to do, and we are continuing to commit to that work.' 2:01 B.C. outlines plan to fast track mining in northwest region of province But the NDP is facing opposition on multiple fronts, with pushback from municipal leaders who agree with the need to speed up projects — but not at the expense of local decision-making. Story continues below advertisement 'They are taking away the voice of municipal governments, which I think is totally wrong. Yes, I agree to fast-track infrastructure, hospitals, schools; we need that. But isn't that their job anyway?' said Chilliwack Mayor Ken Popove. 'If they want to come in and change the way we do business? Stay out of my town, we'll take care of our own town, you guys do your business, and I'll do mine.' BC Conservative Leader John Rustad, meanwhile, said the New Democrats have created a mess for themselves by trying to insert the government into the economy. 'What concerns me the most is the government picking winners and losers,' Rustad said. 'What he is doing is he has created all the problems and wants to bypass it.' The bill also saw some last-minute fencing between the governing NDP and its sometimes partner, the BC Green Party. Opposition from a Green MLA scuttled an NDP attempt to amend the bill to enshrine First Nations consultation in law earlier this week. A subsequent 11th-hour attempt by the Greens to delay voting on the bill was defeated by the NDP. The BC Conservatives say they will vote against the bill, but acknowledge they can't stop bit because of the NDP's slim majority.
Vancouver Sun
27-05-2025
- Business
- Vancouver Sun
Opinion: B.C.'s environmental laws are key public infrastructure, not mere red tape
On May 1, the NDP government tabled Bill 15: the Infrastructure Projects Act. While it is being sold as a bill about building schools and hospitals, the bill opens the door for cabinet to pick and choose which projects they want to fast-track and reduces public oversight. Everything from schools to major mines could be included. With the latest report of at least $400 million in unfunded environmental liabilities for mines already threatening public health in B.C., Bill 15 could push aside fundamental safeguards that underpin B.C.'s economy. Rather than giving itself the time to consult on and amend the bill, the government is set on pushing this bill through the legislature by the end of the month. Fast-tracking legislation brings with it the same risks as fast-tracking projects — that we rush ahead in pursuit of anticipated economic growth without considering what it might cost us. What is at stake are the review processes for proposed projects that will have environmental, economic and social impacts. Processes like impact assessment and permit review determine whether the impacts of a new project are acceptable to British Columbians. Key to these processes is the assessment and weighing of a project's negative and positive impacts on public health, Indigenous rights, the environment, economics and communities. Only seven years ago, the government passed a new environmental assessment law in recognition that everyone benefits from having clear processes to identify project impacts, seek consensus with First Nations, and consider public input. A daily roundup of Opinion pieces from the Sun and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Informed Opinion will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Bill 15 allows cabinet to bypass that careful oversight. It gives cabinet broad powers to designate and expedite public or private projects and use a range of vaguely defined tools to either speed up or exempt these projects from important parts of our environmental and land use laws. These tools range from the power to replace permits with certifications issued by industry-hired professionals , to directing how local governments and regulators make decisions on permits, to exempting projects from key environmental assessment requirements like mandatory public comment periods. Even if the government has promised more details in the future, the language of Bill 15 treats our important public health and environmental sustainability laws as mere red tape rather than part of the infrastructure for protecting communities, the economy, and the environment from ill-conceived and rushed projects. The powers in Bill 15 are akin to a blank cheque for current and future cabinets to rewrite publicly debated and enacted environmental laws in the name of removing so-called red tape. The key assumption behind Bill 15 is that environmental regulation delays projects and harms our economy. However, an audit of 27 mines predicted to open between 1995 and 2022 found economic factors like commodity prices were the most common cause of delay, not regulation. Cutting corners on environmental assessments and regulations does not get projects to construction — it threatens public health, risks community economies, increases litigation risk, and erodes public trust. British Columbians know that without strong environmental laws major projects like mines bring real costs and risks to local communities and ecosystems. We need only to look at the historic contamination at Britannia Mine and the destruction of the salmon and sturgeon populations in the Nechako River due to its diversion via a tunnel drilled through a mountain to power an aluminum smelter as devastating examples, each costing taxpayers and the economy millions of dollars. Laws that require us to look before we leap into new major projects are not red tape, they are essential tools for helping us build truly sustainable economies. If there are specific types of projects that need special treatment, then the criteria for that special treatment should be transparent, shaped through public input, and subject to government-to-government processes between the province and First Nations. Prior to Bill 15 we were moving toward precedent-setting and publicly supported watershed collaborative governance and long-term plans for a transformative conservation economy in some regions. We can still use these processes that are more democratic, transparent, reconciliatory with Indigenous Nations and peoples and more accountable than the substantial changes in Bill 15. We need more careful consideration of whether new projects are good for British Columbia far into the future and the only way to do that is by respecting and building on our environmental laws, a key part of our public infrastructure. Andhra Azevedo is Ecojustice's environmental lawyer. Deborah Curran is executive director and professor at the University of Victoria's Environmental Law Center.
Global News
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Global News
First Nations, local governments ramp up opposition to B.C. ‘fast-track' bill
British Columbia's NDP government is facing more pushback on legislation aimed at fast-tracking major projects in the province. First Nations and municipal leaders joined together on Thursday to call for the government to withdraw Bill 15, the Infrastructure Projects Act, which would grant cabinet new powers to expedite 'provincially significant' projects. At a joint press conference, the First Nations Leadership Council and the Union of BC Municipalities said they hadn't been sufficiently consulted on the bill. 8:50 Political Panel: B.C.'s bill 15 controversy and Carney's Cabinet The legislation, as drafted, conflicts with the government's obligations under the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples while granting the province 'extraordinary powers' to override local government regulations, including zoning bylaws and official community plans, the groups said. Story continues below advertisement Union of British Columbia Municipalities president Trish Mandewo said that municipalities welcome the province's focus on speeding up housing construction. 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 'But not through transferring power from communities to Victoria,' she said. 'The provisions in Bill 15 constitute an unnecessary overreach by the province into local decision-making.' 1:39 B.C. government to fast-track major resource projects and mines Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, president of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs, said Bill 15 and the similar Bill 14, which aims to streamline renewable energy project approvals, defy the province's stated commitment to reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. 'First Nations are not opposed to responsible development, and we understand the need to expedite the approval and construction of hospitals, schools, and other critical infrastructure,' he said. 'But Bills 14 and 15 go well beyond that, and the process that led to their development flouted First Nations' basic human rights and the province's own law, policy, and processes. There's only one way forward: the province must withdraw the bills as currently drafted, and we must work on principled solutions to the myriad of crises we face together.' Story continues below advertisement B.C. Infrastructure Minister Bowinn Ma has previously admitted that the province 'made an error' in not adequately consulting First Nations on Bill 15. But the provincial government has rejected criticism from First Nations and environmental groups, saying the bill does not change environmental standards or affect First Nations constitutional right to consultation on projects. The Opposition BC Conservatives have called for the province to pull the bill to allow for more consultation, while the BC Greens say they will not support the bill.
National Observer
22-05-2025
- Business
- National Observer
Skimping on environmental protections endangers us all
In the rush to grow Canada's economy by exploiting more of our natural resources, moves are afoot to pare back environmental impact assessments that slow or sometimes even block resource and industrial development. During the election campaign, the now-ruling Liberals promised to cut the decision time on projects from five years to a maximum of two. Similarly, BC is about to pass a new Infrastructure Projects Act designed to expedite approvals and reduce environmental assessment times. Ontario also wants to speed development with a bill that would water down environmental impact assessments and downgrade species at risk laws, although you wouldn't know it from the name — Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act. There may be good reasons to streamline assessment processes to allow for speedier economic development, especially for projects the federal government deems to be in the national interest. Tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump have put Canada's economy in a precarious position and Prime Minister Mark Carney believes now is the time for at least one ambitious federal infrastructure project — whether it be a national electricity grid or new pipeline — to decrease our reliance on the US. Provincial governments are also pushing for more mines, coal and fossil fuel development which they hope can be sold to a broader world market and replace economic losses of the tariffs. But changes to our existing safeguards must be made carefully and should still include some measure of oversight from provincial and federal levels of government. The interests of provincial governments, under pressure to boost jobs and juice the local economy, can be too parochial. And some, like the United Conservative Party under Danielle Smith, have been so co-opted by industry, they simply can't be trusted with protection of our shared air, land and water. Before our governments take a hacksaw to our impact assessment acts, it's worth remembering the devastation industrial development and resource extraction projects can wreak on our environment with or without safeguards. Take for example, mercury from the Dryden pulp mill that poisoned the Wabigoon River, leaving Indigenous people living downstream devastating health problems. The pollution began more than 100 years ago, but the health impacts persist to this day. Yellowknife's Giant Mine belched arsenic into the air for just a few years in the mid-1900s before new equipment slowed the rate of pollution — and yet the cost of cleaning up the deadly toxicity already outweighs the total value of all the gold that was ever mined there. More recently in 2014, the Mount Polley tailings pond dam collapsed, dumping hundreds of tonnes of toxic waste into BC streams and lakes near Likely, BC, about 170 kilometres south of Prince George. In 2023, the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation discovered Imperial Oil had failed to alert the community to a massive spill from an Alberta oilsands tailing pond into a nearby watershed. And the following year, dangerously high benzene emissions from a Sarnia-area chemical company forced the evacuation of Aamjiwnaang First Nation residents. Before our governments take a hacksaw to our impact assessment acts, consider the devastation industrial development and resource extraction projects can wreak on our environment with or without safeguards. Would more restrictive impact assessments have prevented these specific industrial transgressions? Possibly not. But without impact assessments which expose potential pitfalls and seek to protect the environment and Indigenous rights, it would be tempting for profit-driven industries to cut corners and up the risk. It would also obscure the tradeoffs we make in the name of development. Major industries tend to locate away from cities on Indigenous lands and when industrial safeguards fail, First Nations typically bear the brunt of the pollution. So, it's not surprising Indigenous leaders are questioning the moves to water down impact assessments. In BC, Stewart Phillip, grand chief and president of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs, chided the provincial government for failing to adequately consult First Nations on the pending infrastructure act. He warned if the BC government pushes aside Indigenous interests in its rush for economic growth, it can expect legal challenges. The Chiefs of Ontario are similarly signalling trouble if the Ontario government fails to consult First Nations on its bill to ram through development in 'special economic zones,' such as the Ring of Fire mining area in Northern Ontario. 'You can't 'unleash' our rights or our sacred responsibilities to our lands and waters with the wave of a pen,' said Regional Chief Abram Benedict in an April 22 statement. Environmental groups are also sounding the alarm over recent remarks by Carney, suggesting he is open to a redo of the federal Impact Assessment Act. Federal jurisdiction over environmental protection was already somewhat curtailed by a 2023 Supreme Court of Canada ruling that found federal impact assessments were unlawfully trampling on provincial jurisdiction. As a result, the feds withdrew a number of planned assessments, including Ontario Premier Doug Ford's controversial plans to build Highway 413. As Carney and the premiers consider making changes, they must keep environmental protection front and centre and not listen exclusively to industry complaints, which might be overblown. At least one study on mining projects in BC found that changing economic conditions, not impact assessments, were by far the greatest cause for project delays. If governments fail to fully consider the environmental concerns of First Nations, environmentalists and scientists, they can expect a slew of fresh lawsuits, protests and blockades. Canadians care deeply about the environment and if the government steps out they'll be prepared to step in to take its place.
