Bill 5 is a Direct Threat to Indigenous Rights, the Environment, and Your Community

I was there in 2020.

Not behind the police barricades—in front of them.

While headlines accused land defenders of blocking the rails, the truth is, it was the police who shut them down. I was on the ground speaking to media, showing the world what state violence looks like when Indigenous people assert their rights. You can still find my name, Andrew Brant, in those stories.

Fast-forward to 2025, and the same government that ignored our sovereignty five years ago has now made it law.

What is Bill 5?

Bill 5 – “Protect Ontario by Unleashing Our Economy Act, 2025” is an omnibus bill passed in early June by Doug Ford’s Conservative majority. It rewrites the rules around:

• Environmental protections

• Employment standards

• Energy and mining regulations

• Heritage and archaeological assessments

• And it creates something new and dangerous: Special Economic Zones (SEZs)

These zones allow the government to pick any part of Ontario and override existing laws there. They can exempt corporations from environmental reviews, Indigenous consultation, labour laws, and even municipal bylaws—all with zero public input.

This isn’t a bill. It’s a license to colonize.

Who Does This Harm?

Indigenous Nations

Bill 5 says “consultation will be consistent with section 35 of the Constitution”—but that’s just legal fluff. It guts the duty to consult. Under SEZs, we could see mining, construction, and destruction on our lands without consent, without warning, and without recourse.

They’re not even pretending anymore. In fact, they’re already laying the groundwork to strip protections from burial sites, sacred places, and archaeological heritage. Under Bill 5, the Minister can just sign a paper and it’s done.

We fought to defend the land in 2020. We stood up then. Now they’ve rewritten the laws to make sure our voices don’t matter.

Environmentalists & Everyday Ontarians

This bill gives corporations the green light to dump, destroy, and desecrate—without environmental assessments or community feedback. Do you like clean water? Protected wetlands? Endangered species? Too bad. Bill 5 lets the government silence environmental science and fast-track projects without any review.

The people of Grassy Narrows, Neskantaga, Saugeen Ojibway, and Kenhte:ke all know what happens when governments don’t care about water.

Workers & Low-Income Communities

Ford’s new SEZs aren’t just about development. They’re about exploitation. SEZs can sidestep Ontario’s labour laws—like minimum wage, sick days, union rights, or safety regulations. In plain terms: you could be forced to work more, for less, in unsafe conditions.

We know who this targets: marginalized communities. Racialized workers. Young people. Migrants.

They call it “economic growth.” We call it extraction.

This Isn’t About the Economy. It’s About Control.

Don’t get it twisted—this isn’t just bad policy. It’s calculated. Bill 5 is designed to shut us up. It hands sweeping power to Cabinet ministers, letting them bypass the democratic process and public input at will.

This is about silencing Indigenous resistance, sidelining environmentalists, and steamrolling over local communities.

Just like 2020.

But this time, they’re hiding behind legislation.

So What Do We Do?

Just because it passed doesn’t mean it’s over. Laws can be repealed. Policies can be overturned. And people in power can be replaced.

1. Protest Loudly, Protest Smart

We’ve already seen mass round dances, teach-ins, and community organizing happening across Ontario. There’s talk of rail and road blockades, and if that’s where it goes—then so be it.

If you join protests:

• Know your rights. Carry ID, have a legal support contact, and know you have the right to remain silent.

• Go with a group. Stay connected, designate check-in points, and don’t go it alone.

• Bring the basics. Water, snacks, layers, first aid, battery pack. Prepare like it’s going to last.

• Film the police. Always if safe, and always have someone back you up.

• Don’t fall for their traps. Stay calm. Stay principled. They want a reason to escalate—don’t give it to them.

2. Use Your Voice

Write to your MPP. Post online. Join the campaigns. Call out the lies. Bill 5 will only thrive in silence. Make noise.

3. Support Legal Challenges

Several First Nations are already preparing constitutional lawsuits. Donate to legal defence funds. Show up in court. Challenge every step of this.

4. Build Public Awareness

Talk about this at your kitchen table, your staff meeting, your coffee shop. Invite people to learn. Share the facts.

• SEZs remove protections from the environment.

• They sideline labour laws.

• They erase Indigenous jurisdiction.

• And they remove you—the public—from the process.
  

Why Protest If It’s Already Law?

Because protest changes the path forward.

In 2020, they tried to erase us with silence and force. We answered with drums, unity, and fire.

We stopped trains. We stopped traffic.

We made them see us.

That was the point.

This moment is no different.

Doug Ford wants to unleash his economy? Fine.

We’ll shut it down.

I’ve been on the ground for years. I’ve watched the police push elders. I’ve been in with journalists where they tried to twist the story. I’ve stood between the people and the state.

And I’m telling you: Bill 5 is one of the most dangerous laws we’ve seen in Ontario.

So don’t wait. Don’t assume someone else will do it.

If you care about the land, the people, or the truth—now is your time to stand up.

Let’s make sure they know:

The land is not for sale. The people are not expendable. And our resistance is not negotiable.

Sha’tekayèn:ton Brant

Kanyen’kehá:ka | Mohawk Nation

Founder – One Dish Project

@onedishonespoon | @thehiddencoffeehouse