Overview
This webpage provides a living summary of two major pieces of legislation that directly affect First Nations in Ontario and across Canada:
- Bill 5 — Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, 2025 (Ontario)
- Bill C-5 — One Canadian Economy Act, 2025 (Federal)
Although introduced at different levels of government, both laws fast-track infrastructure and resource development projects while weakening environmental protections, consultation processes, and recognition of First Nations rights. Each represents a significant shift in how governments approach development, often at the expense of Treaty rights, nation-to-nation relationships, and community voices.
This page brings together analysis, advocacy updates, and resources to support First Nations leadership, communities, and partners in understanding the impacts of Bill 5 and Bill C-5. It will be regularly updated with statements, legal and political developments, calls to action, and materials for community engagement
Overview of Bill 5 (Ontario)
On April 17, 2025, Premier Doug Ford and Minister Stephen Lecce introduced Bill 5, Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, 2025—omnibus legislation intended to reduce regulatory processes across major infrastructure, mining, and resource projects. The bill affects several key Acts, including:
- Ontario Heritage Act
- Ontario Energy Board Act, 1998
- Environmental Assessment Act
- Mining Act
- Environmental Protection Act
- Electricity Act, 1998
- Endangered Species Act, 2007
- Rebuilding Ontario Place Act, 2023
Bill 5 significantly weakens environmental protections, reduces oversight of mining and development projects, and limits opportunities for First Nations consultation and consent. The legislation allows the Ontario government to bypass critical processes that safeguard species at risk, cultural heritage, and treaty rights particularly in regions like the Ring of Fire. It concentrates decision-making power in the hands of ministers and the Lieutenant Governor without mandating First Nations involvement, threatening sovereignty, land stewardship, and ongoing reconciliation efforts.
- Chiefs of Ontario – First Nations Leadership responds to the passing of Bill 5 with warning of legal and grassroots action
- Chiefs of Ontario – First Nations bring Bill 5 concerns to Queen’s Park, call for legislation’s reversal
- Chiefs of Ontario – Analysis and Next Steps: Bill 5 – Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, 2025
- Chiefs of Ontario – First Nations rights cannot be ‘unleashed,’ say First Nations Leadership following province’s proposed development legislation
- Chiefs of Ontario – First Nations bring Bill 5 concerns to Queen’s Park, call for legislation’s reversal
- Chiefs of Ontario –Written Submission on the Standing Committee
Please note that this is not an exhaustive list of resources and will be updated periodically as needed.
- Association of Iroquois and Allied Indians – AIAI DENOUNCES BILL 5: ECONOMIC DEREGULATION MUST NOT OVERRIDE FIRST NATIONS RIGHT OR ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY
- Nishnawbe Aski Nation – Indigenous leaders call on Ford to halt mining bill, consult” – NAN and other leaders call for consultation and reject Bill 5
- Grand Council Treaty #3 – Anishinaabe Nation in Treaty #3 unanimous in opposition to the passing of Ontario Bill C-5
- Anishinabek Nation – Anishinabek Nation will be idle no more if Bill 5 passes in current form
- Six Nations of the Grand River – 59th Elected Council Official Statement on Bill 5
- Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation – Upholding First Nation Rights in Resource Development – Bill 5
- Wabun Tribal Council – Proposed Legislative Amendments: Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, 2025
- Wabun Tribal Council – Proposed Amendments to the Ontario Heritage Act, Schedule 7, 2025
- Canadian Environmental Law Association – Comments on Bill 5 “Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, 2025”
- Amnesty International – Ontario’s Bill 5 threatens Indigenous rights, environmental justice
- Ecojustice – Demystifying Bill 5: How Doug Ford’s Omnibus Bill guts environmental protections
- Association of Municipalities Ontario – Ontario Introduces Bill 5 and Re-Introduces Homelessness Encampments Bill, New Report on Tariffs Impacting Municipal Construction Costs
- Neskantaga First Nation –Neskantaga First Nation Strongly Opposes Passage of Bill 5: Official Statement
- Arroland First Nation – Aroland First Nation Public Statement On Bill 5 And On Premier Ford
- Indigenous Physicians Association of Canada – Position Statement. Bill 5. Solidarity with Indigenous Nations impacted by the Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act
Please note that this is not an exhaustive list of resources and will be updated periodically as needed.
- Environmental Registry of Ontario – Proposed interim changes to the Endangered Species Act, 2007 and a proposal for the Species Conservation Act, 2025 (ERO number 025-0380)
- Environmental Registry of Ontario – Proposed amendments to the Mining Act 1990, Electricity Act 1998, and Ontario Energy Board Act 1998, to protect Ontario’s Economy and Build a More Prosperous Ontario. (ERO number 025-0409)
- Environmental Registry of Ontario – Proposed Amendments to the Ontario Heritage Act, Schedule 7 of the Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, 2025 (ERO number 25-041)
- Environmental Registry of Ontario – Special Economic Zones Act, 2025 (ERO number 25-0391)
- Environmental Registry of Ontario – Removing Environmental Assessment Requirements for the York1 Waste Disposal Site Project (ERO number 25-0389)
Bill 5 threatens the constitutional rights of First Nations, weakens vital environmental protections, and undermines First Nations sovereignty in the name of economic development.
By fast-tracking mining and resource extraction without meaningful consultation or consent, especially in areas like the Ring of Fire, the bill perpetuates colonial harm and disregards the principles of truth and reconciliation.
It also allows exemptions to species-at-risk protections and archaeological assessments, putting both ecosystems and cultural heritage at risk.
This campaign is about protecting First Nations’ rights, defending the environment and rejecting short-term economic decisions that endanger future generations.
- Ontario Regional Chief Abram Benedict discusses First Nation opposition to Bill 5
- Grand chief in Ontario says repeal of Bill 5 starting point for discussions with First Nations
- Anishinabek Nation warns First Nations will be ‘idle no more’ if Bill 5 passes
- Ontario First Nations leaders warn of ‘conflict on the ground’ if controversial Bill 5 passes
- Bill 5 continues to draw Indigenous opposition at Queen’s Park
- Blockade threats surface over Ontario government’s proposed mining bill
- First Nations leaders in Ontario’s Ring of Fire region demand Bill 5 be struck down
- Canada is not for sale — And neither is Neskantaga First Nation, says chief
- Eabametoong Nation calls for ‘war council’ on economy, sustainability in face of tariff response
- First Nations warn of conflict if Ontario proceeds with Bill 5
Please note that this is not an exhaustive list of resources and will be updated periodically as needed.
Overview of Bill C-5 (Federal)
Bill C-5, now law and known as the One Canadian Economy Act, introduces sweeping changes to Canada’s infrastructure development processes through the Act to enact the Free Trade and Labour Mobility in Canada Act and the Building Canada Act.
This legislation allows the federal Cabinet to fast-track major projects such as highways, pipelines, and energy projects by designating them as “national interest” projects.
Once designated, these projects receive automatic federal approval through a single ministerial authorization. This process bypasses many standard regulatory requirements, including environmental assessments and consultation processes.
Although the federal government has claimed that Indigenous participation was considered, the law was developed and passed without meaningful consultation or the free, prior, and informed consent of First Nations.
No consideration was given to inherent Treaty rights throughout this legislation process. Despite public commitments to reconciliation and partnership, Bill C-5 was rushed through Parliament in a matter of weeks during summer 2025, leaving little time for dialogue, engagement, or accountability.
Undermines Consultation and Consent
- Consultation timelines were unreasonable short (e.g. six days to respond)
- C-5 skipped the usual legislative process with the House and Senate running parallel reviews
- First Nations were excluded from meaningful legislative review or testimony
- The extreme pace by which Bill C-5 passed into law is a prime example of First Nations being left out of the drafting process and are instead being treated as an afterthought.
- References to the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) are non-binding and unenforceable.
- The Act bypasses the robust consultation processes that typically accompany regulatory approvals
- The pre-approved nature of yet-to-be-announced “projects of national importance” does not allow for any sort of meaningful consultation with impacted Nations, nor are there enforceable laws regarding impact-benefit agreements with communities.
- This “pre-approved” mindset ignores that Treaty rights are collective, not individual, affecting land, water, culture, and governance.
- There is no legal requirement in the Act for Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC), nor is there a requirement for meaningful consultation with First Nations.
Centralizes Power and Weakens Accountability
- Shifts decision-making power to Cabinet and a new Federal Major Projects Office.
- There has been no information to date on the new office, only that there is a tentative timeline for having it in operation by Labour Day.
- Eliminates independent assessments and procedural safeguards that historically supported First Nations engagement and environmental protections
- Enables Cabinet to exempt projects from key laws such as the Fisheries Act and Impact Assessment Act.
Threatens Treaty Rights, Land, and Cultural Heritage
- Projects may proceed without proper agreements, revenue-sharing, or respect for Treaty relationships
- Skipping assessments risks disturbing sacred sites and burial grounds many of which remain undocumented.
- Protecting burial sites, ceremonial grounds, and sacred landscapes must be understood as a core component of any respectful and lasting partnership.
- Under Bill C-5, project proponents may be permitted to begin construction before cultural or archaeological reviews have been completed, putting ancestral sites at direct risk. This not only causes harm; it undermines trust, weakens partnerships, and increases legal and reputational risk.
- Protecting our ancestors is not symbolic; it is a sacred responsibility.
- The Act fails to uphold the Crown’s responsibilities to First Nations as treaty partners.
- Developers may no longer need Indigenous support, weakening bargaining power in negotiations or impact-benefit agreements
- Equitable resource revenue sharing must be prioritized. Without it, economic growth will come at the direct expense First Nations’ traditional territories and ways of life.
Rejects Distinctions-Based Governance
- Undertaking a pan-Indigenous approach to developing legislation and policy violates First Nations’ inherent and Treaty rights to land and self-governance.
- It undermines First Nations’ responsibility to protect their lands and resources for the benefit of future generations in accordance with their values, traditions, and laws, as well as nation-to-nation relations.
- This process fails not only First Nations but all legitimate Indigenous nations.
- When governments apply a pan-Indigenous approach, First Nations are forced to compete with Métis and Inuit organizations for funding.
- This inequitable funding approach becomes even more difficult for First Nations when they are forced to compete with groups falsely claiming to be Indigenous.
- First Nations reject the pan-Indigenous Advisory Council proposed under Bill C-5
- Inclusion of the Metis Nation of Ontario (MNO) undermines legitimate First Nations rights and governance
- Consultations must be distinction-based, nation-to-nation, and rooted in Section 35 of the Constitution.
- Pan-Indigenous approaches do not work anywhere in Canada, but they are especially harmful in Ontario where fraudulent groups claim Indigeneity.
- Chiefs of Ontario – Urge Federal Government to Prioritize First Nations Rights, Infrastructure and Partnership
- Chiefs of Ontario – First Nations Leadership United in Opposition to Liberal Government’s Unprecedented Bill C-5
- Chiefs of Ontario – Issue urgent warning on Bill C-5, the One Canadian Economy Act, and will rally on Parliament Hill
- Nishnawbe Aski Nation – NAN Statement from First Nations’ Summit
- Anishinabek Nation – Statement on the Building Canada Act and Government engagement: Honouring our Treaty and inherent rights and protecting our future
- Assembly of First Nations – Statement from the National Chief on the Senate’s Approval of Bill C-5, One Canadian Economy Act
- British Columbia Assembly of First Nations – Chiefs Gather, Put Canada on Notice for the reckless One Canadian Economy Act
- Tŝilhqot’in Nation – Opposition to Bill C-5
- Onion Lake Cree Nation – Onion Lake Cree Nation Rejects Bill C-5
- Ecojustice – Environmental and civil society groups react: Bill C-5 becomes law, setting a dangerous precedent
- Climate Action Network Canada – Environmental and civil society groups react: Bill C-5 becomes law, setting a dangerous precedent
- The Professional Insititute of the Public Service of Canada – PIPSC Indigenous Caucus Statement on Bill C-5, Bill 5, and lack of Indigenous consultation
- Bill C-5: Are First Nation rights coming second?
- Inside Indigenous backlash to fast-tracking mega projects
- First Nations leaders walk out of Mark Carney meeting on Building Canada Act
- Chiefs tell Canada summit should not be considered consultation according to leaked recording
- First Nations leaders say Carney’s C-5 summit sparks more concerns, questions
- ‘No level playing field’: NAN leader says he can’t accept Bill C-5
- First Nations leaders urge Liberals to rethink controversial One Canadian Economy Act
- Facing legal challenges and leaders demanding a repeal of Bill C-5, will the prime minister’s summit with First Nations mark a turning point?
- Ontario Chiefs say invitation to give evidence on national project debate rescinded
- I was at the First Nations C-5 summit. Carney isn’t listening
Please note that this is not an exhaustive list of resources and will be updated periodically as needed.
View the Ontario First Nations Directory.
Our semi-annual magazine.
Community and special events.
Download resources and information.