First Nations chiefs warn that their lands will be ‘eradicated’ as they rallied in Queen’s Park Monday afternoon to fight against Doug Ford’s government’s controversial Bill 5.
The bill, known as Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, prioritizes energy building and mining projects by speeding up the approval process by limiting the amount of permits which are typically required.
As a result, Bill 5 will give the government power to suspend municipal and provincial laws, this also includes removing some endangered species acts and protections.
In total, Bill 5 proposes amendments to nine pieces of Ontario legislation, including the Ontario Heritage Act, the Mining Act, the Endangered Species Act.
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The legislation has received intense pushback from environmentalists and First Nations communities, who say they have not been consulted, and are urging the government to halt the bill and pause the process until First Nations chiefs have joined the table.
“First Nations land will be eradicated,” North Superior Regional Chief Melvin Hardy said in an interview with Now Toronto on Monday.
Hardy, who is part of the Anishinabek Nation, says the nation has several culturally significant areas in its territories that are called The Spirit of the Land, all of which are being threatened by Bill 5.
“What will happen is all of the things will be desecrated, and the Spirit of the Land will be broken,” Hardy said.
First Nations chiefs took to Queens Park along with supporters on Monday afternoon, many of whom drove hours from their respective homes, to once again challenge the government’s position.
If passed the legislation will be a major step back for First Nations communities and their relationship with the provincial government according to Hardy.
“We’re going to end up back to where we were in the 1920s and 1930s, the government’s trying to put us back just to be good little people in the corner and shut up, that’s all they want,” Hardy said.
Bill 5 has also received intense criticism from opposition leaders who have called on the Ford government to pause the bill.
As of now, the bill still needs to go back to the House for a third reading before a final vote, if the bill gets passed Hardy says communities are prepared to put up a long fight.
“This is our land, this is our people, and we also need to teach our young ones… what they’re doing to the First Nations” he said.
