Bill 5 not only will deprive…

Bill 5 not only will deprive me of my personal livelihood as a cultural resource management archaeologist, but it also directly mirrors Trump’s policy of ‘Dig Baby Dig’. Opposing the threat of Trump’s administration by mirroring its own tactics is both un-Canadian and profoundly disrespectful to the Indigenous peoples of Ontario and Canada as a whole. Additionally, petitions for these “exemptions” will pave the way for more back room deals of which the Ford administration is already infamous for. The criteria for these proposed exemptions needs to be made crystal clear and should also be approved by the Indigenous communities on who’s traditional territories these projects are to occur. The duty to consult cannot be ignored and this is just another push by the Ford administration to line their donor’s pockets by depriving First Nations peoples of their rights and cultural heritage. This proposed amendment will allow the destruction of Ontario’s history and eliminate the cultural resource management industry in the province. If the proposed amendments were to impact the manufacturing industry it would not be tabled, but robbing cultural resource management professionals of their jobs seems to be perfectly acceptable to the Ford government. Why? Because the administration can not profit from it. I do understand that some large infrastructure projects must occur and I am not against development; however, their has to middle ground in which development can proceed, the duty to consult First Nation’s is fulfilled properly and the jobs of Ontario’s cultural resource management professionals are protected.