As a First Nations…

As a First Nations individual, I am shocked by the current provincial government's lack of regard for provincial legislation that protects our cultural heritage. Mainly the Planning Act and the provincial policy statement of 2014.

In the absence of provincial legislation that protects our cultural heritage, our archaeological, sacred, and burial sites are at serious risk. The destruction of archaeological material is the destruction of evidence that indigenous people lived on this land. This signifies the continued cultural erasure of our people and families from the landscapes of our home.

In the absence of environmental regulations, the land that has sustained us since time immemorial is at risk of irreversible damage. These regulations help protect wetlands, woodlands, and wildlife. They protect the water for all those who depend on it. Particularly the Great Lakes Protection Act and the Clean Water Act, both of which could be affected by this bill.

Environmental and heritage protections are not 'red tape' but a necessary component within the development planning process.