October 21, 2025 – Bill 5, Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, 2025 received Royal Assent on June 5, 2025, and Bill C-5, One Canadian Economy Act, 2025 received Royal Assent on June 26, 2025 officially passing the Bills into law. Bill 5 will create so-called special economic zones where projects can bypass various provincial laws. Bill C-5 echoes Bill 5 and aims to fast-track infrastructure projects that are deemed to be in the national interest.
Both Bills were created without meaningful consultation, undermining First Nations’ Treaty and Inherent Rights. They weaken environmental protections, allowing development that threatens our waters, forests, and ecosystems. These resources are essential to our ways of being.
“Our Treaties are not optional, and our voices cannot be ignored,” says Gimaa (Chief) Cathy Stevens. “These Bills put profit over people and threaten the land that has sustained our Nation for thousands of years.”
Bill 5 and Bill C-5 hinder reconciliation, disregarding the nation-to-nation relationships the Crown has a duty to uphold. By advancing legislation without our consent, Ontario and Canada erode trust and stall progress toward justice.
As the House of Commons and Ontario Legislature resume on October 20, Nipissing First Nation calls on both governments to withdraw Bill C-5 and Bill 5, engage in proper consultation, and uphold the rights and responsibilities that reconciliation demands.
Nipissing First Nation Chief and Council
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