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2w ago

Ontario First Nations File Lawsuit to Block Fast-Track Bills 5 and C-5

First Nations argue the legislation breaches the Crown’s constitutional duty to consult ahead of a meeting with Prime Minister Carney.

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Prime Minister Mark Carney, left, speaks with Premier of Ontario Doug Ford following the First Minister’s Meeting in Saskatoon, Sask., Monday, June 2, 2025.
People rally against Bill C-5 on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, on Tuesday, June 17, 2025.
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Overview

  • Nine Ontario First Nations have filed a constitutional challenge in the Ontario Superior Court seeking to strike down provincial Bill 5 and federal Bill C-5.
  • They are requesting an injunction to suspend both laws immediately while the court reviews their constitutionality.
  • Bill 5 and Bill C-5 grant governments the power to fast-track projects by waiving environmental assessments, archaeological reviews and other statutory protections.
  • The legal filing cites the Crown’s obligations under Section 35 of the Constitution, the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the 2018 Misikew Cree Supreme Court ruling.
  • Chiefs set to meet Prime Minister Mark Carney on July 17 have raised concerns over last-minute planning and the exclusion of technical advisers from the talks.