Speaking out against Bill 5

May 22, 2025 · 0 Comments

Our Readers Write

Bill 5, if enacted, would allow the provincial government to fully ignore any municipal and provincial laws.

While its initial onslaught is to eradicate our internationally famous Endangered Species Act (2007) and replace it with a much weaker Species Conservation Act (2025), Bill 5 also has the power which allows government to bypass ANY provincial or municipal laws – environmental, labour, health, and indigenous rights-in “Special Economic Zones” designed to fast-track development.

Bill 5 amendments to environmental protection and assessment, endangered species, and heritage preservation laws, in order to expedite infrastructure development and mining extraction, are akin to degrading safety laws in our building code to accelerate the creation of a high-rise condominium.

Such a move would surely raise red flags around the long-term integrity of the building. Our environmental protection and assessment, endangered species, and heritage protection laws are the basis for preserving the deeply rooted structure which supports the very projects we need to address the economic uncertainty associated with events south of the border.

Bill 5 also proposes to use the very same tactics on Ontario citizens that the leader south of the border is trying to use on U.S. citizens – the removal of rights in order to enable accelerated development at any price. We should not be removing indigenous or any resident rights at any time, especially when thoughtful, long-term planning is essential for our existence as a stable and strong province.

I respectfully request that Bill 5 be withdrawn in full to ensure the protection of the people of Ontario and the environment in which we live.

Leah Pressey

President, Dufferin-Caledon Greens