Ontario has a rich history…

Ontario has a rich history of occupation that dates back more than 12,000 years. The archaeological assessments completed each year in advance of development help fill in the gaps in the story of Ontario, Indigenous Peoples and more recent settlers. Archaeology gives a voice to many who have been written out of history. Indigenous and descendant community participation in the process of archaeological investigation has recently amplified that voice. Bill 66 threatens to allow municipalities to opt out of provisions within the Planning Act, including the Provincial Policy Statement (2014) which require many of the assessments that are completed.

Under Bill 66, a municipality will be able to circumvent Subsection 3(5) and Section 24 of the Planning Act which give authority to the Provincial Policy Statement (2014) and Official Plan requirements respectively. The protection of heritage is a mandatory provincial interest under the Ontario Heritage Act, not a decision of convenience at a municipal level. Bill 66 needs to be amended to restore the requirements that protect our heritage for the generations to come.

The archaeological process under the Planning Act is already easy to subvert, and there are many instances of this where development goes ahead without impact assessment.

This bill conflicts with current processes put in place by Canada to comply with the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action requiring Canada to implement the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, specifically Article 3 recognizing Indigenous peoples’ rights "to the lands, territories and resources which they have traditionally owned, occupied or otherwise used or acquired" and their Free Prior and Informed Consent in planning and development, including archaeological assessments. Bill 66 threatens not only irreversible damage to cultural heritage, but also water, green space, and natural heritage in Ontario which impact the health and sustainability of all people in Ontario.