Call to Action Against Ontario Bill 5

Green Communities Canada joins other Canadian environmental organizations in opposing Ontario Bill 5

Hon. Stephen Lecce, Minister of Energy and Mines introduced Bill 5, the Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, 2025 on April 17, 2025. 

As summarized by the Canadian Environmental Law Association, Bill 5 (“Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, 2025”) creates zones that would be exempt from legal protections and public oversight. Bill 5 would:  

• Exempt key projects from Environmental Assessment Act reviews (e.g., Dresden landfill, Eagle’s Nest Mine). 
• Weaken oversight of mining activities under the Mining Act. 
• Repeal the Endangered Species Act, 2007, replacing it with a weaker Species Conservation Act, 2025.
• Empower the province to declare “special economic zones” under the Special Economic Zones Act, 2025, where provincial laws and municipal by-laws—including environmental and public-participation rules—would be inoperative. 

Why this matters: 

• Erodes the rule of law: “Trusted proponents” could bypass statutory protections, risking environmental and human-health harms.
• Threatens Indigenous rights: Fast-tracking extraction in remote areas (e.g., the Ring of Fire) without proper assessment or consultation.
• Spreads a false “jobs vs. environment” narrative: Ignores how strong environmental laws underpin sustainable, long-term economic prosperity. 

CELA has provided a detailed submission to the government asking it to withdraw Bill 5. Click here to access the full submission. 

Bill 5 has a limited 30-day public comment period. This public comment period ends on May 17, 2025.

Green Communities Canada supports actions led by the Canadian Environmental Law Association, Ontario Nature, the World Wildlife Fund Canada, Environmental Defence, the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, Wildlife Preservation Canada, Ecojustice, and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association to call attention to and oppose Bill 5.  

We would encourage our Ontario members and Ontarians in general to: 

• Contact your Member of Provincial Parliament about Bill 5,
• Inform your municipality about Bill 5, and express your concerns, and
• Submit your comments by May 17 at 11:59 pm to the Ontario government directly. The Canadian Environmental Law Association provides this list of notices on the Environmental Registry of Ontario: 
• Protect Ontario by Unleashing Our Economy Act, 2025. (ERO number 25-0416) 
• Proposed interim changes to the Endangered Species Act, 2007 and a proposal for the Species Conservation Act, 2025 (ERO number 025-0380)
• 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)
• Proposed Amendments to the Ontario Heritage Act, Schedule 7 of the Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, 2025 (ERO number 25-041)
• Special Economic Zones Act, 2025 (ERO number 25-0391)
• Addressing Changes to the Eagle’s Nest Mine Project (ERO number 025-0396)
• Removing Environmental Assessment Requirements for the York1 Waste Disposal Site Project (ERO number 25-0389)