Ontario’s Bill 5 threatens Indigenous people, endangered species and local municipalities input

June 5, 2025 · 0 Comments

OUR READERS WRITE:

The Ontario Government’s Bill 5 and Bill 17 will take away input from local communities and Indigenous people as Ontario undertakes growth through housing and infrastructure projects.

This input could be provided in parallel fashion so as not to slow things down but to strengthen plans and do things right the first time.

The parallel consultation would make Indigenous people and other communities and groups a part of the process to get it right the first time.

With Bill 5, for example, the Ontario Government will eliminate the Ontario Endangered Species Act and have the power to create “Special Economic Zones where all power is in the province’s hands without input or consultations from the groups above

The Ontario Government has offered to include a statement in Bill 5 that says the government will address Indigenous concerns in the regulations that will come later. This is very general and does not provide enough to meet Indigenous concerns about ignored and over ridden treaty rights.

Further to Bill 5 is Bill 17, which gives the power to the province to override municipalities’ Official Plans/Laws and Green Development Standards. These have been created with great thought to meet the local needs and to make new developments more sustainable.

Caledon’s Green Development Standards are voluntary standards that the developers and builders adopt at the beginning of their planning stages to ensure sustainable practices like net zero building material, roughing in EV chargers and ensuring good drainage by not over paving around the houses to avoid flooding etc.

Let’s get it right Ontario so we can build the best for the long term and not waste money or time or our beautiful Ontario.

Learn more about the impacts of Bill 5, and sign a petition on the Ontario Nature website at ontarionature.good.do/bill-5-stop-attacks-on-endangered-species/Email.

ecoCaledon