Bill 5, Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, 2025, is being referred to by Climate Action Muskoka (CAM) as “An Attack on Ontario’s Environment, Democracy and the Rule of Law.”
The group recently organized a protest in Bracebridge and says the legislation calls for the ability to create special zones, which would be exempt from “ALL provincial and municipal laws (including environmental, Indigenous rights, labour, public safety, heritage and even the Environmental Bill of Rights). That is, any project is above the law,” reads a statement released in their May newsletter. “We cannot let the Ontario government use the U.S. trade war as a flimsy excuse to destroy the rule of law in Ontario through Bill 5, the so-called “Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act,” it adds.
Doppler reached out to Parry Sound-Muskoka MPP Graydon Smith on the matter and received the following written response:
“It shouldn’t take upwards of 15 years to open a mine in Ontario. These substantial delays hold back jobs, investment, and our ability to compete globally. Through Bill 5, we’re cutting red tape and unlocking critical projects while strengthening environmental protections, including introducing serious consequences for offenders including fines, or even jail time, and new enforcement powers to hold bad actors accountable. We’re also quadrupling funding for the Species Conservation Program to $20 million annually to support on-the-ground recovery efforts. That matters in regions like Parry Sound–Muskoka, where protecting local ecosystems and supporting species at risk go hand in hand with building sustainable economic opportunities. This Bill in no way reduces the duty to consult obligation with Indigenous communities. By working in true partnership with Indigenous communities to progress major development opportunities, we are building pathways towards lasting economic reconciliation the right way, together.”
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About all we can expect from our MPP who doesn’t have the guts to disagree with the great Doug Ford.
He certainly doesn’t represent us and it was a sad day when he was re-elected