Hello, I am writing to…

Hello, I am writing to strongly oppose the proposed changes to the Ontario Heritage Act in Bill 5 (the “Protect Ontario by Unleashing the Economy Act”). These changes would allow the Ontario government to skip important archaeological assessments when building things like houses, transit, or hospitals. This means they could build on land that has important Indigenous history—like ancient sites, sacred burial grounds, or even former residential school sites without checking what’s there first.

This is deeply disrespectful to Indigenous peoples and their history. These archaeological sites are like history books in the ground. They help us understand the lives, cultures, and traditions of Indigenous nations that have lived on Turtle Island (what we now call Canada) for thousands of years. Once these sites are destroyed, they are gone forever.

The government says it wants to speed up development, but removing archaeological checks is not the answer. In fact, delays in development are often because the government doesn’t give enough funding to the ministry responsible for archaeology not because archaeology itself takes too long or costs too much. Instead of cutting corners, the province should invest in the proper resources to do this work the right way.

This change also goes against Canada’s promise to work toward reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. True reconciliation means listening to Indigenous voices, respecting their rights, and protecting their history—not pushing it aside to build more quickly. These changes would do the opposite and show a lack of care for building a respectful relationship.

I strongly urge the Ontario government to stop these changes. Protecting Indigenous heritage is not something that should be optional. It’s a responsibility, and it’s the right thing to do.