Premier Doug Ford plans to meet with influential Indigenous leaders this week to smooth over any bitter feelings from First Nations sparked by the passage of his government’s contentious Bill 5.
During a question-and-answer session with reporters following a major transit announcement in Toronto, June 17, Ford mentioned he’ll be consulting with 40 chiefs this week on how to collectively advance the new law that creates special economic zones designed to fast-track natural resource projects into production.
Called the Protecting Ontario by Unleashing Our Economy Act, the cabinet can now exempt companies and projects from having to comply with provincial law, regulation or municipal bylaw in a designated special economic zone.
“We’re going to be consulting the entire summer,” said Ford.
The controversial bill, aimed at fast-tracking mines into production — particularly in the Ring of Fire — was introduced in the Ontario legislature in mid-April and became law June 5. It came under severe criticism with threats of protests and blockades from Indigenous groups and communities from across Ontario.
The Premier’s Office didn’t provide any specifics to Northern Ontario Business on the day and location of his meeting.
It’s unknown if Ford planned to attend the Chiefs of Ontario annual assembly this week in Peterborough or meet with Indigenous leaders at a separate location.
A spokesperson in the Premier’s Office reiterated an earlier response that the province intends to spend the summer working with First Nations to “develop regulations and details” to these special economic zones and Indigenous-led economic zones.
Ford’s office told The Trillium, an affiliated Village Media outlet covering Queen’s Park politics, that they didn’t have any more details on Ford’s meeting than what the premier shared Tuesday.
Yesterday, Ford was asked by a reporter for clarification about his remarks from an appearance the previous day on CNN. The premier said that a vast majority of Indigenous leaders in Ontario support Bill 5.
Ford appeared on the program to discuss U.S. relations and Ontario’s plans to mine and export critical minerals to the rest of the world, if no trade agreement can be reached with the U.S. He told the U.S. network that Bill 5 will speed up project permitting in Ontario from taking 15 years to “under two years.”
When asked by the CNN anchor about concerns raised by Indigenous communities about possible negative impacts of project development on territorial lands and treaty rights being stripped away in favour of economic growth, Ford answered that those opposed to the bill only represent the minority of leadership.
“There’s a few of them, not a lot of them,” Ford said to CNN.
Ford said he enjoys a “great relationship” with Indigenous communities and that a “tremendous amount of chiefs” want to see progress and provide a better life for their children.
He stressed his government will always respect treaty rights and carry out the duty to consult.
When asked by the reporter on Tuesday to identify which First Nations are supportive of the legislation, Ford pivoted to talk about his government’s recent $3.1-billion investment in the upsized Indigenous Opportunities Financing Program.
“We put $3 billion — never been done — in our country to make sure that they have ownership of any projects that we do, and another $70 million for training, another $10 million for scholarships.
“Wouldn't that be great if one of the Indigenous youth actually get a degree and go out there and become an engineer and work on the line. That's our goal, to make their lives better, and it's a very generous, generous offer that we're offering. But nothing's going to be done without respecting their treaty rights, making sure we have duty to consult and they're going to be part of any, any deal. So, it's going to work out extremely well for the communities that want to be involved."
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