This bill is extremely short…

This bill is extremely short sighted. What exactly are the rules for getting an exemption from an archaeological assessment? The Ford government has left this vague, allowing for the abuse of exemptions for the highest bidders. Everyone should be treated equally by legislation, and in this case the Ford government creates a situation where lobbyists and developers with questionable morals can simply talk their way out of participating in Ontario's society and economy while everyone else is beholden to legislation. Allowing the random and frivolous exemptions, and allowing them to be determined by a government that has already been accused of gross corruption (see Greenbelt fiasco, Ontario Place sale, and Ontario Science Centre proposed demolition for some very obvious examples), creates a situation where even more blatant corruption can take place.

Is it now up to the Premier and his government to decide what heritage sites are important? What does he know? What makes the Premier and his ministers the arbiters of what is "important?"

This will impact all communities that benefit from heritage sites and archaeological data. This will impact Indigenous populations the most, as well as minority communities such as African-Canadians. By not preserving heritage, we erase parts of our past that we must be learning from.

Archaeology and heritage are limited resources. They are non-renewable resources. If a site is destroyed, it cannot be brought back. This bill will cause the destruction of countless sites for the sole benefit of corrupt government officials and developers. This bill sells out Ontarians and Indigenous Peoples history to the highest bidder under the guise of building us more affordable homes and infrastructure (which of course will not happen).

This bill is dangerous and opens the floodgates for more unfair and unequal, corrupt bills in the future. What's next? Environmental protections? Labour rights? Who knows, but if this bill passes you can be assured that Ontario will see its protections stripped and sold, and its people will suffer for it.