#bill-5

#bill-5

The Ontario government has quietly given itself the power to override archaeological protections on development sites. It's a shift that, for the first time, places millennia-old Indigenous history under direct political control and raises the alarm among experts and First Nations that cultural and burial sites could be erased in the name of economic growth. Since 1983, Ontario's archaeological system has depended on professional judgment and arms-length expertise,

Ontario Premier Doug Ford's government is moving ahead with its plan to create so-called special economic zones to push forward projects it deems important, and is considering including "moon shot" ideas to qualify. The power to designate parts of the province as special economic zones was created in the controversial Bill 5, a law the government says is necessary to speed up construction of large infrastructure projects, particularly mines, in a time of global economic uncertainty.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced plans to designate the mineral-rich Ring of Fire as a special economic zone, aiming for swift development and consultation with First Nations.

Jamie Kneen, national program co-lead for MiningWatch Canada, argues it’s undemocratic for the province to exempt mines from oversight, questioning the legitimacy of using tariffs as justification.