MPP Kevin Holland’s James Street constituency office in Thunder Bay was the scene of a protest Thursday evening as almost 300 people turned out with placards urging the repeal of Bill 5.
The bill, which the Ford government claims is in response to the U.S.-imposed tariffs that threaten the Canadian economy, opens avenues to expedite major infrastructure and resource extraction projects.
This involves the replacement of the existing Ontario’s Endangered Species Act with the new Species Conservation Act, which some argue relaxes the existing protections. It also means the creation of other laws such as the Special Economic Zones Act, allowing any location in Ontario to be designated as a “special economic zone” by the province, which can exempt companies or projects from provincial regulations.
Both of these aspects of Bill 5 are of the most worrisome for critics who are “rejecting” the bill and calling on the Ford government to withdraw it.
The group, calling themselves Kill Bill Five, is led by Sarah Nelson, who attended the rally Thursday evening and said the group wants the government to “repeal Bill 5.”
“Whether you’re Indigenous or not, if these extractive projects are pushed and they don’t do their due diligence of doing environmental assessments, our waters, our lands and our air are going to be poisoned,” Nelson said. “I am Ojibwe Anishinaabe and it’s not just about us as Indigenous people. It’s about all of our future generations.”
Nelson said her concern involves the provincial government “pushing through” Bill 5 legislation without consultation.
“They pushed it through now and they said, ‘Oh, now we’re going to talk to the First Nations.’ Well, that’s not the proper process of how things are supposed to happen,” Nelson said.
“The bill is trying to override those (treaty) protections and that’s why we’re protesting it.”
Despite the increase in training programs for Indigenous people, Nelson said even if they get good-paying industry jobs, the money doesn’t necessarily flow to where she believes it should. She thinks a lot of the money from these projects doesn’t end up in the pockets of those who are living in poverty.
“It ends up in the pockets of the billionaires,” she said.
“In the short term, you have a job, you can support your family, but we’re thinking of the long-term effects of not doing your due diligence. We need our lands and waters to be clean for the long term, and to have a good life, we also need jobs. But I just don’t think that we can sacrifice the lands and waters that give us life.”
Holland was out of the office on Thursday and wasn’t present for the rally. Speakers included youths from the Regional Multicultural Youth Council; Chief Christopher Moonias, of Neskantaga First Nation; Mary Veltri, from Environment North; Eli Mandamin, of Shoal Lake First Nation and activist Joyce Hunter. Elder Rita Fenton led a drum circle and opening prayer.
