‘The worst piece of legislation in a generation’: 100 organizations oppose Ford’s Bill 5

“If I sound angry, I am,” Caledon resident and Forks of the Credit Preservation Society volunteer Debra Wilson said at a Town Planning and Development Committee meeting on May 13. 

She is among the many Ontarians who are furious and unable to make sense of Bill 5, the Progressive Conservative government’s latest omnibus piece of legislation, which promises to ‘Protect Ontario’ while attacking its land, wildlife and democracy.

Caledon is one of many municipalities across the province struggling to understand Bill 5, formally titled the Protecting Ontario by Unleashing Our Economy Act—a sweeping bill introduced by the Doug Ford PC government on April 17, marketed as a bid to cut "red tape" around resource extraction projects and shield the economy from U.S. tariffs by creating “special economic zones” that will hand the government the power to exempt projects and “trusted proponent” from any provincial or municipal law.  

The sweeping authority the bill will hand to the provincial government is setting off alarm bells for a wide range of organizations and advocates, who are rallying against the attack on civil liberties, Indigenous rights, environmental protections and local governance.

If passed, Bill 5 would strip key environmental protections, sidestep Indigenous consultation and grant the provincial cabinet sweeping powers to fast-track development in specially designated zones without adhering to municipal or provincial laws.

(Anushka Yadav/The Pointer) 

“This is potentially the worst piece of legislation that Ontario has seen in a generation,” Ontario Nature’s conservation campaigns and advocacy manager, Shane Moffatt, told The Pointer.

It has ignited a wave of resistance across the province.

On May 12, advocates from civil liberties, environmental, and Indigenous organizations—including Environmental Defence, Democracy Watch, the Association of Iroquois and Allied Indians, Friends of the Attawapiskat River, and members of the Neskantaga First Nation—gathered at Queen’s Park to denounce the bill.

On May 16—also Endangered Species Day—over 100 environmental organizations united to send a letter to the Province’s environment, conservation and parks minister, Todd McCarthy, protesting not just the legislation but also sounding the alarm about the unravelling of Ontario’s natural heritage. Bill 5, if passed, will completely eliminate the Endangered Species Act, replacing it with a watered down version that offers next to no protection for species on the brink of extinction. 

The organizations argue Ontario is rapidly becoming a national outlier when it comes to biodiversity protection. 

While provinces across Canada have responded to international conservation agreements, such as the landmark Kunming-Montreal Agreement in 2022, by expanding protections and collaborating with Indigenous communities, Ontario has instead taken a regressive path. 

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has vowed to open up the Greenbelt for sprawl, gutted the authority of conservation authorities and has cut environmental legislation to the bone.

(The Pointer files)
 

In the letter, the groups criticize Premier Ford’s ongoing dismantling of environmental safeguards, including so-called "pay-to-slay" provisions that allow industries to harm endangered species in exchange for fees.

Bill 5 will make it easier for developers and industries to destroy greenspace and wildlife habitat in the name of economic progress. 

(Anushka Yadav/The Pointer)

“Healthy habitats sustain all Ontarians, not just endangered species. Bulldozing their protections is only going to unleash more problems for future generations,” the letter warns.

The proposed Species Conservation Act, which would replace the Endangered Species Act, 2007 (ESA), is seen by many as the culmination of this backslide. 

Bill 5 would make species listings discretionary, replacing the current science-based and independent assessment model with political decision-making, a shift that many see as a critical failure in long-term conservation planning. Under the current ESA, species are chosen for designation by an independent scientific panel. Bill 5 is attempting to place that decision making power into the hands of politicians with no experience in ecology or wildlife management. The elimination of recovery strategies for endangered species further compounds this problem, as advocates argue that without these essential roadmaps for survival and recovery, there will be no effective way to track or prevent the continued decline of Ontario’s most vulnerable wildlife.

Habitat loss and degradation is one of the main threats to many species at risk, including the bobolink (above), which is currently listed as threatened by the Ontario government. Bill 5 will accelerate habitat loss for this bird species and many others.

(Jim Richards)

Democracy Watch co-founder Duff Conacher warned that the bill is “dangerously undemocratic,” giving the Ford cabinet “unconstitutional, king-like powers to change any law without a review or vote of approval by Ontario’s legislature, and also proposes to prohibit anyone from going to court to challenge the cabinet’s abuses of power.”

The letter raises concerns over the offloading of responsibility for migratory birds and aquatic species to the federal government, which “negates the essential collaboration between both levels of government and combined with the weakened definition of habitat in the

provincial proposal limits protection for species that are only listed provincially.”

If passed, under Bill 5, developers and industry will be allowed to self-register projects without clear conditions or binding environmental requirements, effectively bypassing oversight and accountability. This effectively codifies into practice how the PC government has been treating species at risk since being elected in 2018. A 2021 auditor general’s report found the PC government’s environmental ministry was working contrary to its mandate to protect species. That report found the majority of permits to harm habitat were being handed out automatically. The PCs attempted to misrepresent the audit’s findings when questioned by experts and members of the public, and have consistently refused to study the cumulative impacts of their development-first agenda, despite clear evidence of the harm it is doing to at-risk wildlife. 

“He’s making it easier for his friends to pave over farms, forests and wetlands and wipe out endangered species without any guardrails,” Tim Gray, executive director of Environmental Defence, said.

The groups are calling on the PC government to scrap Bill 5 and instead strengthen the existing ESA.

“That does not mean stopping all development. It means building strong local economies that are in harmony with nature, not in conflict,” the letter reads.

Speaking to the Caledon council, Wilson said, “Certainly, the province and the country have, as always, many immediate and seemingly urgent challenges, but it is always vital that we think long term. We cannot let the bully to the south push us to make rash, ill-advised decisions, or to be used as the excuse for such decisions.”

She directly challenged claims made by the province’s minister of economic development, Vic Fedeli, who has said the legislation will foster a more efficient, business-friendly environment. “How about a more people-friendly landscape?” Wilson asked.

“What are the reasons the Premier has given as to why these draconian proposals will benefit us, the people? Premier Ford says we need to get rid of red tape. What businesses, including developers, mining companies, and aggregate companies, see as red tape is often the protection for people.”

Wilson also questioned the proposed exemption of “trusted proponents” from regulations, asking, “But what makes them 'trusted' and trusted by whom? I’m sorry, but I can’t think of a single mining, aggregate, or development business that truly follows the spirit and intent of the current regulations. It’s about profit, pure and simple.”

The PC government has not explained how these “trusted” proponents or exempted projects would be chosen, or provided any criteria to inform how these decisions would be made. 

Critics also note the glaring omission of any reference to the right to Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) for Indigenous Peoples, whose territories and traditional knowledge are directly impacted by such legislation. The failure to include FPIC is not only a violation of Indigenous rights, but a missed opportunity to build collaborative, inclusive conservation frameworks.

“Can't you see that this will hurt us a lot if you bulldoze what we have, if you take our land, you say that you're there for your country. But what about us? What about my people? Thinking about it makes me sad. As you can see, I'm hurt. I want my community to go back home. I want to go back home and not worry about what's going to happen,” a visibly shaken 14-year-old girl with tears in her eyes from Neskantaga First Nation said during the press conference.

On May 12, environmental groups and Indigenous leaders, council members and youth gathered at Queen’s Park calling on the provincial government to stop Bill 5.

(Environmental Defence/X)

“I don't want to worry about what Ford is going to do to us. I'm 14 years old. I'm already getting educated on this. I'm proud of myself for being here…I hope that you hear me. I hope that you listen to my words and hear me.”

Association of Iroquois and Allied Indians Grand Chief Joel Abram confirmed they were “not engaged on this, nor were we asked for contact information for the 133 First Nations.” 

“I represent eight member nations and to my knowledge, none of them have been consulted or engaged on this legislation. This law needs to be stopped—it must be scrapped and started over. I can understand trying to advance Ontario's aspirations economically, but it can’t be done so at the expense of the environment and the expense of democracy, at the expense of First Nation rights,” he said.

Amnesty International echoed their plea. “We cannot build up Ontario by bulldozing down the rights of Indigenous Nations and the natural environment we all depend on and share,” Ketty Nivyabandi, Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada’s English-speaking section said, calling Bill 5 a “brazen power grab.”

Opposition critics fear Bill 5’s provisions around “special economic zones” could open the door to more Greenbelt-style giveaways—undermining labour laws and rewarding developers with political connections. In September 2023, the Ford government was forced to reverse a Greenbelt “land swap” that would have removed approximately 7,400 acres from the protected greenspace, after an auditor general’s investigation found the process to select the lands “favoured” certain developers. The entire scandal is currently under investigation by the RCMP. The PC government continues to fight the release of documents and information related to the land selection process. 

“Bill 5 is an unprecedented and extraordinary power grab by the Ford government, giving them the power to handpick corporations or development projects that they want to exempt from provincial and local planning laws, including the constitutional duty to consult with First Nations,” Ontario Green party leader Mike Screiner said in a video shared on social media.

“It is so wrong for the Premier to use the threat of Trump’s tariffs to say the government should have the power to attack environmental protections, labour, health and safety standards, and the duty to consult with First Nations in order to fast track development.”

When asked about the backlash at a May 14 press conference, Minister of Economic Development Vic Fedeli dismissed the concerns, saying the opposition “prefer none of our economic development continue.”

On May 14, Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to remove trade barriers between their provinces, following similar agreements recently signed with Nova Scotia and New Brunswick to promote interprovincial free trade.

(Doug Ford/X)

Ontario Premier Doug Ford doubled down, repeating a now-familiar line: “It can’t be business as usual.”

“We can’t keep doing the same thing and expect a different result,” he added.

Yet critics argue that’s exactly what the Ford government is doing—repeating a pattern of fast-tracked, top-down legislation that ignores science, dismisses community voices, and benefits a select few.

On May 7, Lambton County Council voted 16–1 to pass a motion opposing Bill 5 and called on the province to reinstate the environmental assessment for a proposed landfill development located just one kilometre north of a local town (Bill 5 removed a previously approved requirement for further study). 

On May 12, Orangeville Council also passed a motion opposing the bill. That same day, Amherstburg Council directed staff to submit a formal response outlining the town’s concerns ahead of the May 17 deadline—highlighting the potential impacts and risks the legislation poses to their community.

Caledon Council followed suit on May 13, unanimously voting 7–0 to oppose the legislation.

Councillors questioned staff on whether the provincial government, under Bill 5, could override their official plan—one that still awaits provincial approval. The answer was yes.

The irony wasn’t lost on anyone: the province seems to have had ample time to push through sweeping, undemocratic legislation, yet not enough to approve the Town’s carefully crafted, community-driven development plan.

“This is the second time that we, the Town of Caledon, has really been essentially big-footed by the province,” Ward 3 councillor Doug Maskell said, introducing a motion to oppose the bill. 

He was referring to Bill 212 passed last year, which exempted Highway 413 from environmental assessments and changed expropriation rules to make it easier for the Province to seize land—often at the expense of residents who objected. 

Proposed route of Highway 413 which runs directly through Caledon, including portions of the Greenbelt.

(Environmental Defence)

On November 12, Maskell introduced a motion opposing Bill 212, particularly because of provisions in the Highway 413 Act and the Building Highways Faster Act. More than 52 percent of the proposed 59-kilometre highway would cut through the heart of Caledon’s most sensitive watersheds and prime agricultural land.

“You cannot do this in a functioning democracy,” he told The Pointer previously.

“Here we are today, where we have another legislation, which essentially bigfoots everything we've been doing in many ways, the Town of Caledon, to protect land, water, species at risk in this town,” Maskell said.

But Caledon’s stance against Bill 5, and its push against legislation that harms species at risk, comes after its own controversial decision just last year that will put vulnerable species at risk. 

In a move that sparked outrage and ongoing legal action by residents and environmental advocates, Mayor Annette Groves and a majority of the council approved the rezoning of 12 properties—much of it greenspace, farmland, and even parts of the protected Greenbelt—to make way for 35,000 new homes. 

Caledon residents gathered on December 11, 2024, to attend a meeting organized by Democracy Caledon, a citizens' group taking the local government to court over its controversial June 25 rezoning decision.

(Joel Wittnebel/The Pointer)

The decision bypassed critical studies, offered minimal opportunity for public input, and was pushed through despite warnings from the Region of Peel, which labelled the plan “premature” and flagged that billions of dollars in infrastructure would be needed to support the growth. An investigation by The Pointer found the lands rezoned for growth will harm at least 24 species at risk, 4 of them endangered and six listed as threatened. 

Even Queen’s Park’s own housing ministry raised red flags, stating the bylaws didn’t align with provincial legislation or planning policies.

Adding to the controversy: the rezoning bylaws were drafted not by town staff, but by Quinto Annibale, a development lawyer from Loopstra Nixon—who was also representing one of the very developers set to benefit from the land-use changes.  To date, the Town has not offered a clear explanation as to how this does not constitute a conflict of interest.

Opposition leaders are now worried Bill 5’s special economic zones will be used by the Ford government to subvert labour law requirements and create the perfect opportunity for another Greenbelt scandal that hands favours to friends and political donors.

“Neskantaga stands in opposition to this Bill. We will fight the bulldozers that the Ford government wants to fast-track. Even if you take away all your environmental laws and protections – our laws live on. Our people will meet you on the land,” Neskantaga First Nation Chief Gary Quisses said in a statement.

“These are our homelands and our consent has not been provided to cross the river system of our homelands. Premier Ford keeps saying Canada is not for sale—we say our lands are actually not for sale.” 

Caledon residents are gearing up for yet another battle—this time with the Ford government—while already locked in a long-standing struggle with the town’s powerful aggregate industry. For years, locals have fought to defend their green spaces, their homes, and the endangered species that call the area home from ongoing industrial encroachment.

On April 15, 2025, Councillor Doug Maskell brought forward a motion aiming to include turtle conservation in the Town of Caledon’s Natural Heritage and Urban Forest Strategy.

“The presence of turtles is a key indicator of healthy and resilient ecosystems,” the motion read, emphasizing that habitat loss, fragmentation, and road mortality are major contributors to the alarming decline of turtle populations in the region.

As previously reported by The Pointer, these turtles—among many threatened and at-risk species—will bear the brunt of so-called economic development that tears through critical habitats, undermining nearly two decades of protection under Ontario’s Endangered Species Act.

Under the new law, “habitat” would be redefined to include only the immediate nest, den, or surrounding area—excluding the forests, wetlands, and feeding grounds essential for survival.

“We are in the middle of a global biodiversity crisis. We need more protections for species at risk than ever, not less. The government should be strengthening the Endangered Species Act so the communities can benefit from conservation, and Indigenous rights perspectives are respected. Instead, this government is scrapping the Endangered Species Act, and, as a result, Ontario has become a laggard nationally when it comes to protecting nature,” Ontario Nature’s Shane Moffatt said. 

Even more concerning, the Cabinet would have the authority to narrow this definition further. For species already declining due to habitat loss, this could strip away the minimal protections they still have, leaving vast areas unregulated and potentially reduced to barren, moonscape-like landscapes, which aren’t foreign to the Town of Caledon, once the “greenest” town in the country.

“The Premier has referred to a cricket getting in the way of development and joked about people wanting to protect a woodpecker, claiming the woodpecker will just move to another tree. But where would that tree be if we’re bulldozing thousands of trees and acres of farmlands and wetlands for houses and highways? Where exactly are the woodpeckers, crickets, and frogs supposed to go?,” Wilson said, the frustration debilitatingly obvious in her voice.

A notice of motion opposing Bill 5 was passed at Caledon’s Planning and Development Committee meeting on May 13.

(Town of Caledon)

She urged the Caledon leaders to “please let the Province know loudly and clearly, we do not support Bill 5. Our collective voices defeated the proposed carve-out of the Greenbelt. Our collective voices can defeat this desecration act as well. Let's truly protect Ontario.”

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