When Ontarians voted at the end of February to re-elect the Doug Ford government, the storyline is that it was to give the Premier a mandate to protect our citizenry against Trump tariffs.
Bill 5, one of the tools in the kit, appears to be more a declaration of war against species at risk and their habitats.
Officially titled the “Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, 2025” the matter was debated at McNab-Braeside Council Tuesday (May 6th), and found no friends at the table.
Mayor Lori Hoddinott shared a number of concerns about the legislation for her peers.
Not only will species at risk come under pressure on paper, where they live will be vulnerable.
Yes, Bill Five will cut “red tape”.
Where there are laws in place, they can be bypassed.
And where we are grateful to live on this territory, the favour need not be returned.
Further, there’s only a small window of opportunity to register objection.
After discussion, elected representatives agreed to raise objections on Ontario’s Environmental Registry-
and circulate a resolution to other rural municipalities opposing what Queen’s Park has planned.
Comment deadline is May 17th.
By Rick Stow