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Ontario’s recently introduced Bill 5, Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, 2025 has disturbing implications for the protection of nature and effectively muzzles dissent and community voices.
If passed, Bill 5 would exempt entire regions from provincial laws and environmental safeguards through the the creation of “special economic zones” – such as those in and around the proposed Ring of Fire mining development. It would also repeal the Endangered Species Act, replacing it with a weaker, voluntary regime and terminate the environmental assessment for a major mining project in the Ring of Fire, the Eagle’s Nest mine.
As we unpack in our legal brief, Bill 5’s proposed creation of “special economic zones” – which give the province broad powers to exempt projects and industries from provincial and municipal laws – reflects Ontario’s unrestrained and unabashed endorsement of private interests, at the cost of any legal requirement to consider the interests of the public, communities, nature, and health.
Too often, economic gain is pitted against environmental protection. Bill 5 is another attempt to evict Indigenous rights and nature from law. To safeguard the immense climate and cultural value the North holds for our health and well-being, we must stop prioritizing the rights of private, industrial uses over respect for communities’ rights, including Indigenous law and sovereignty.
Thank you to the 6,537 citizens that took action by sending the letter below to the to the Premier of Ontario, the Minister of Energy of Mines and their elected Member of Provincial Parliament.
I am writing to you in response to the recently introduced Bill 5, Protecting Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, 2025. As a concerned citizen, I am seeking your support in opposing this regressive and harmful bill that will speed up the destruction of critical habitat for endangered species, removes basic environmental rights, including rights to be informed and have a say, and fails to respect Indigenous peoples’ rights, including those recognized in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).
As your constituent, I am urging you to stop Bill 5.
If passed, Bill 5 would:
- Terminate the environmental assessment (EA) for the Eagle’s Nest mine – a proposed mining project in Treaty 9 lands, part of the proposed Ring of Fire (Schedule 3)
Removing the EA for this project – which provides a forward-looking assessment designed to help government decision makers, Indigenous authorities and rights holders, and members of the public understand the environmental and socioeconomic outcomes of proposed activities before moving ahead – jeopardizes the lands and waters in the James Bay Lowlands of Northern Ontario.- Exempt entire regions from provincial laws and environmental safeguards through the creation of “special economic zones” – such as those in and around the proposed Ring of Fire mining development
Environmentally hazardous sites, like mines, continue to be established near areas primarily inhabited by Indigenous, racialized and low income communities without their consent or participation. This is environmental racism, a human rights and environmental health issue that will be exacerbated if Bill 5 passes.- Threaten species survival and recovery by repealing the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and replacing it with the Species Conservation Act that relies on voluntary initiatives and discretionary, not mandatory, species protection and eliminates requirements to create recovery strategies for at-risk species, making it nearly impossible to track and mitigate threats to their survival (Schedule 2)
The province’s regressive approach to species protection adds to a history of vast and sweeping amendments from other prior and passed bills that have exempted major extractive industries from the ESA’s protective measures, delayed the classification of species on the Species At Risk in Ontario (SARO) List, broadened Ministerial decision-making powers absent a requirement to seek expert advice, and limited the publicly accessible and transparent information sharing.- Erode government accountability by attention to narrow judicial scrutiny by the courts by restricting potential causes of actions against the Crown (Schedule 5) Already, Bill 5 reflects Ontario’s unrestrained and unabashed endorsement of private interests, namely mining proponents and projects, at the cost of any legal requirement to consider the interests of the public, communities, nature and health. If passed, Bill 5 will undoubtedly erode public confidence in transparent and accountable government decision-making and cause irreparable harm to environmental and human rights.
I urge you to support the protection of nature, Indigenous rights, and public trust in government decision-making by calling for the withdrawal of Bill 5 in its entirety.