Latest news with #OntarioByUnleashingOurEconomyAct
Hamilton Spectator
4 days ago
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Doug Ford vows to use Bill 5 to open the Ring of Fire ‘as quickly as possible'
Premier Doug Ford says he will designate the Ring of Fire — which holds critical mineral deposits in northwestern Ontario — a special economic zone 'as quickly as possible' in order to open mines now that Bill 5 has passed. 'We need to start moving on that. We have a lot of excitement and a great partnership with Chief Sonny,' Ford said Thursday, referring to a January agreement signed with Aroland First Nation Chief Sonny Gagnon to upgrade the roads and energy transmission lines needed to create a mining hub. 'They're going to see a road they never had. They're going to get off the diesel that they've been living on and get electricity.' The legislation, which fast-tracks mining and infrastructure projects by exempting them from local and provincial rules, has been slammed by opposition parties and others for weakening environmental, endangered species and labour protections, and ignoring aboriginal treaty rights. That means 'unchecked powers' for Ford's Progressive Conservatives under the Protect Ontario By Unleashing Our Economy Act, said Tony Morris of the lobby group Ontario Nature. 'The government may have rammed this legislation through, but we have seen incredible opposition from Indigenous peoples, environmental groups, farmers, labour organizations and people from across the province.' Touting the bill in the face of warnings from some First Nations that they will blockade highways and block projects 'on the ground' in protest over a lack of prior consultation on the bill, Ford would not specify which laws his government would exempt companies from in special economic zones. 'Let's see what companies come to the table and, depending on how quickly we can get opportunities and jobs, we'll reveal them,' the premier told reporters. 'When we feel that we need to speed things up, we'll speed things up.' Opposition parties have warned the legislation will be challenged in the courts and face protests that will slow development down, not speed it up as Ford hopes to do to counter the economic slowdown expected to result from U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs. 'Don't raise the boiling point,' Green Leader Mike Schreiner said. 'We all want to see more economic development in this province, and it's not going to happen as fast as we would like if the premier divides us.' He noted special economic zones can be designated anywhere in the province under the legislation, raising concerns that prime farmland, for example, could be taken out of service. 'We are approaching what I'm afraid may be a summer of chaos,' said New Democrat Leader Marit Stiles. 'You cannot trust this government to give themselves unlimited powers.' The pushback the government is experiencing is 'a symbol of how flawed this legislation is,' Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie added. Appearing with Ford, Energy and Mines Minister Stephen Lecce said Indigenous communities have been offered $3 billion to help develop projects to improve their fortunes and develop their resources. The Trump tariffs have led to an 'abrupt halt' in capital investments by companies around the world and Ontario wants to be ready when the fog clears and billions of dollars are 'unleashed' in countries with good opportunities, Economic Development Minister Vic Fedeli said.
Hamilton Spectator
5 days ago
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
‘Watershed moment': Provincial unions are coming together to support northern First Nations protesting Bill 5
As Ontario is expected to pass its controversial Bill 5 through its third and final reading on Wednesday, representatives of organized labour say their fight is only beginning. Members of the Ontario Federation of Labour intend to fill the gallery at 1:30 when the government is expected to pass the Protect Ontario By Unleashing Our Economy Act , a proposal First Nations leaders say will trample their treaty rights to free, prior, and informed consent on major project development. 'I think this is a watershed moment where people will recognize who is fighting for workers and Indigenous peoples: it was us. We are the heroes we've been waiting for,' says OFL president Laura Walton. 'And it's time we actually embrace that and connect with our power and move forward and we can do this – every single one of us.' As members of five more northern First Nations fly to Toronto to rally for Premier Doug Ford to withdraw the bill, Walton is calling for a broad movement to oppose the bill's implementation, including united labour, that will be led by First Nations. Bill 5, the Protect Ontario By Unleashing Our Economy Act, would introduce 'special economic zones,' inside of which the province can exempt certain 'trusted' developers from environmental and labour laws while overriding any municipal bylaws. Ford has committed to making mining development in the Ring of Fire deposit into the first such zone , despite insistence from First Nations in the area that commitments to proper consultation and restoring basic infrastructure be a precursor to discussions. Walton says the OFL stands with First Nations who demonstrated at Queen's Park on Monday and she sees common ground in the struggle to come. She worries this bill could erase workplace occupational health and safety, regulations in the Skilled Trades Act, and provisions for injured workers under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board .The Progressive Conservative majority government has moved this bill so quickly through the legislative process that the labour movement has been caught off guard. Walton says even developers with whom she has met are unaware of its sweeping power, and that broad worker education and mobilization efforts will be necessary to confront the two-tiered environment for labour laws the bill will introduce. 'This government only reacts to intense and continuous pressure,' she says. 'All of us want development. No one is here to say 'we don't want to be developed, we don't want to be economically prosperous.' Nobody is saying that. What we're saying is, 'you don't have to supersede treaty rights in order to achieve that. You don't have to strip away the rights of workers to achieve that.' 'This is simply a power grab, and you're rushing it through because you know damn well it's a power grab and we're going to be on the other side of it as well.' Representatives of 290,000 Ontario public sector workers voted unanimously to call on the government to scrap the bill at the Canadian Union of Public Employees' annual general meeting in May. Their resolution commits to educate and to mobilize to form, 'the broadest possible coalition to demand the immediate and full withdrawal of this dangerous legislation.' CUPE Ontario president Fred Hahn says that before coming to the AGM, the vast majority of his local representatives had never heard of Bill 5. He describes it as 'a fundamental shift in the way we govern in our country' that gives the Premier's office 'unlimited executive power,' pointing out the speed of its passage adds to the shock and confusion the public is experiencing around its implications. 'The government wants us to believe that once they pass a bill, that's the end – it's not,' Hahn says. 'We can monitor what they do, we can resist what they do, we can overturn legislation. There can be court challenges to overturn it. These things have happened in recent history in our province.' Hahn foresees a broad movement forming to confront the implementation of the legislation in which workers will join First Nations out of mutual interest and solidarity. 'It's enormously important that labour and Indigenous leaders are starting to come together. We need to keep going because legislation like this should not stay on the books, period. It's a long game so sure, they have a majority and they can ram through legislation that's fundamentally undemocratic. That's not the end, it is the beginning.' 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 .
Toronto Star
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Toronto Star
First Nations chief warns of ‘fierce resistance' to Premier Doug Ford's mining bill
A prominent First Nations leader is warning Premier Doug Ford to expect 'fierce resistance' to his Bill 5 fast-tracking mines and infrastructure projects in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs. Amid concerns the Protect Ontario By Unleashing Our Economy Act threatens treaty rights and environmental protections, Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation issued his strongest warning yet. 'There will be fierce resistance from our side,' he said in an online news conference Thursday on the legislation expected to pass next week before the legislature rises for its summer break. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW 'We're looking at Idle No More 2.0,' Fiddler added in a reference to the grassroots protest movement that began in 2012 and fuelled a national conversation on treaty rights, youth unemployment, resource extraction, inadequate housing and education. Fiddler said last-minute government amendments aimed at easing Indigenous concerns about the bill, including a provision to eventually allow Indigenous-led 'special economic zones' for mining and other projects to benefit their communities are not enough because no details have been provided. 'We don't even know what that means,' a frustrated Fiddler told reporters, accusing the Progressive Conservatives of 'doing things on the fly.' 'It's not working,' he said of the government's approach. 'It's making things worse. It's raising more questions about what this could look like.' While Ford's office said the concept has been discussed with Indigenous leaders, Fiddler retorted 'I don't know what he's talking about' and repeated calls for the bill to be withdrawn. 'We need to keep pushing.' As originally introduced, the bill paves the way for 'special economic zones' where environmental assessments would be limited and be exempt from many municipal and provincial rules — a main point of contention with First Nations worried that would override treaty rights and environmental protections. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Energy and Mines Minister Stephen Lecce said the new proposal for Indigenous-led zones was meant to assuage concerns that First Nations were not consulted before the legislation was introduced. 'We're fully committed to getting this right,' he said Thursday in Vaughan. The bill is intended to speed approvals for new mines and infrastructure projects. Ford wants to use cobalt, nickel and other critical minerals from the northwestern Ontario Ring of Fire deposits and get them to market, particularly for the electric vehicle and defence industries. 'We're protecting our economy so we can keep people working,' Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy said at a news conference with Lecce. Opposition parties have sharply criticized the legislation, saying an amendment promising to fix First Nations concerns with the bill in regulations after it is passed is a flawed strategy. 'The government says 'trust us' on a bill that they've actually broken trust with First Nations,' noted Green Leader Mike Schreiner. Politics Headlines Newsletter Get the latest news and unmatched insights in your inbox every evening Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. Please enter a valid email address. Sign Up Yes, I'd also like to receive customized content suggestions and promotional messages from the Star. 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. Politics Headlines Newsletter You're signed up! You'll start getting Politics Headlines in your inbox soon. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page.
