On behalf of Green…

On behalf of Green Communities Canada, we are writing with deep concern about Bill 5 and encourage the Government of Ontario to withdraw it. We represent Ontario’s Green Communities, a group of community-based non-profits that work with schools and provide environmental programming in communities in 52 municipalities and 3 first nations across Ontario.

Bill 5 creates zones that would be exempt from legal protections and public oversight. Bill 5 would:

- Exempt key projects from Environmental Assessment Act reviews (e.g., Dresden landfill, Eagle’s Nest Mine).
- Weaken oversight of mining activities under the Mining Act.
- Repeal the Endangered Species Act, 2007, replacing it with a weaker Species Conservation Act, 2025.
- Empower the province to declare “special economic zones” under the Special Economic Zones Act, 2025, where provincial laws and municipal by-laws—including environmental and public-participation rules—would be inoperative.

We are deeply concerned that the legislation:

- Erodes the rule of law: “Trusted proponents” could bypass statutory protections, risking environmental and human-health harms.
- Threatens Indigenous rights: Fast-tracking extraction in remote areas (e.g., the Ring of Fire) without proper assessment or consultation.
- Spreads a false “jobs vs. environment” narrative: Ignores how strong environmental laws underpin sustainable, long-term economic prosperity.

Thank you for the opportunity to provide comment. As stated above, we believe the Government of Ontario should withdraw Bill 5 from consideration due its deeply damaging effect on communities across the Province.