I am extremely concerned…

I am extremely concerned with the proposed Ontario Heritage Act amendment regarding the “Exemption for Property”. Archaeological and cultural heritage sites are found all over Ontario and cannot and should not be cast aside for the sake of “progress” as if they are irrelevant and have no meaning to the citizens of this province.
I can see that the wording of Bill 5 states that exemptions for property are only to be applied to provincial priorities (ex. housing, transit, health and long-term care, infrastructure, etc.), however all of these priorities represent the main development projects that trigger archaeological assessment in the first place. This is obviously an attempt to wipe out archaeology and any related heritage industries. Archaeological sites are finite. Excavation of a site is a one-and-done chance to learn about Indigenous and settler history in this province, which is something that not even our history books or educational curriculum can cover. Archaeology is constantly discovering new aspects of our cultural history and rewriting what is currently recorded in history books.

Circumventing archaeology on government projects is going to open the floodgate for private sector developers who build housing, long term care facilities, etc., to lobby for the same access to the exemption for property in the private sector development. This will also eventually eliminate the entire archaeology and heritage industry that currently thrives in Ontario.
This is an industry that I value as a citizen and tourist in my own backyard. I do not want to see cultural heritage destroyed before it can be recorded, and enjoyed by all Ontarians. I know people who work in this industry and whose jobs are now being threatened by this proposed legislation. In addition to those potential job losses, I find this bill to be extremely disrespectful to all Ontarians and especially to the Indigenous peoples who live in the province and have federally protected rights to have access to their cultural heritage that all provinces must abide by.
Many Indigenous people today work with Ontario’s archaeologists and that is a relationship worth investing in for the good of reconciliation and our collective future.
I do not see how eliminating jobs that can and should be protected and supported in the development industry supports the government’s message about “protecting Ontario” and protecting as many jobs as possible. From my perspective, you are going choosing to create job loss in an attempt to pretend that developers are going to start building all the new infrastructure the government wants, tomorrow. I have read recent news stories that outline why developers are stalled and it is not because of archaeology or even endangered species, which another part of Bill 5 addresses and is equally offensive and should be cancelled. It is because developers are not going to earn the financial profits they want to get once their projects are complete and all housing units are purchased or occupied. In fact, developers have decided on their own to delay or cancel many projects in all communities throughout Ontario. Outside of media reports, I have direct industry knowledge that also supports developers slowing their progress due to their own financial concerns, and not those for affordable housing or the better good of Ontarians. They simply are concerned for their own profits. Period. At the detriment of our culture, heritage and better wellbeing of citizens.

The actions of developers and the messaging of the Ford Government about “protecting Ontario” do not align. This amendment needs to be cancelled and archaeology and cultural heritage jobs protected, as promised by the Premier to the citizens of Ontario who elected him.
I strongly oppose the actions of this Bill and want to see it abolished.

Thank you for your time in reading this submission.