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6mo ago

Ontario Enacts Bill 5 to Speed Mining in Ring of Fire

It grants cabinet power to override provincial laws in special economic zones, prompting First Nations to plan summer protests.

Protesters and community members chant and wave signs as they listen to speakers during a demonstration opposing Bill 5 outside the Ontario Legislature at Queen's Park in Toronto on June 2, 2025.
Protesters and community members chant, wave flags and drum during a demonstration opposing Bill 5, outside the Ontario Legislature at Queen's Park in Toronto on June 2, 2025.
Protesters gather outside the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to protest Bill 5 on June 4, 2025. (Fred Lum/The Globe and Mail)
Premier of Ontario Doug Ford meets with press at the First Ministers meeting to discuss various trade and policy issues at TCU Place in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada June 2, 2025. REUTERS/Nayan Sthankiya

Overview

  • Bill 5 received royal assent on June 5, giving the province authority to fast-track projects by suspending provincial and municipal laws for designated “special economic zones.”
  • Premier Doug Ford said his government intends to designate the Ring of Fire as a special economic zone as quickly as possible to accelerate mining of critical minerals.
  • First Nations leaders, including Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler and Sol Mamakwa, have warned of protests and potential blockades over treaty rights and lack of prior consultation.
  • Environmental groups and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association warn the law could undermine endangered species protections and exempt projects from labour and environmental standards.
  • The government plans to consult Indigenous communities this summer on the regulations for Bill 5, but many leaders have rejected any post-enactment engagement.