Proposed Bill 5, "Protecting…

Proposed Bill 5, "Protecting Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act," is not just a misleading title, it’s a calculated smokescreen, in fact, the devil’s in the detail. Split into ten separate schedules with clashing ERO numbers and rammed through under a rushed 30-day consultation during a pivotal federal election, this fragmented approach is a textbook case of regulatory sleight-of-hand. It’s designed to overwhelm, confuse, and silence public and expert voices. Just like the Greenbelt grab, it reeks of a developer-first agenda - fast-tracking sprawl while gutting environmental safeguards. What’s at stake isn’t just process, but principle: the deliberate dismantling of protections and leaving the public with little to no recourse.
We are at an important crossroads - threatened by tariffs and economic hardships, will we sacrifice what will better ensure our longer term survival by rushing into legislation that has, at least for what we assume, been formulated in a matter of weeks with no scientific foundation or significant expert inclusion, including First Nations?
Specific to Schedule 7: New laws allow land inspections without consent, restrict Indigenous access to artifacts, enable government seizure and control of heritage, and exempt sacred sites from protection—fuelling surveillance, erasure, and loss with no accountability. Please see complete response details in the attached document.