Bill 5 appears to infringe…

Bill 5 appears to infringe on the rights of First Nations and Indigenous communities. Examples of where a property "might" not be considered for an exemption "could" include former Indian Residential School sites, burials and significant archaeological sites. The thought that Residential School sites could be exempt from archaeological assessment without First Nation engagement is incomprehensible. Similarly, burials and significant archaeological sites would not be identified prior to being impacted if a project has been exempt from the archaeological assessment process. Funeral, Burial and Cremation Services Act (FBCSA) projects have been excluded from exemption, but there seems to be no consideration for human remains and burials associated with archaeological sites - which would not be identified if the project were exempt. Has the Province explored all avenues with its current workflow to expedite approvals without also excluding wholesome First Nation and Indigenous community engagement and destroying Ontario's heritage?