Tecumseh Mayor Gary McNamara wishes there had been more discussion with municipalities before the passing of Bill 5.
The bill, aimed at "cutting red tape" for major infrastructure, mining and resource development projects, was passed Wednesday. It gives the province the authority to designate special economic zones where proponents could bypass some of the municipal and provincial laws.
Conservative MPPs say the move is necessary to fight U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs.
“We are unveiling a bold plan that ensures Canada is self-reliant, economically independent, and seizing every opportunity to grow our economy and stand on our own two feet. That is why we are taking decisive action to protect Canada’s natural resources from foreign adversaries, and our intent is to reduce government review time by 50 per cent to get shovels in the ground. Accelerating responsible resource development — from clean energy to critical minerals projects — creates a generational opportunity that will transform our country into a true energy superpower,” said Minister of Energy and Mines Stephen Lecce.
While the main focus of the bill is the Ring of Fire in Northern Ontario, McNamara has concerns about what the legislation will mean for local municipalities.
"I understand the fundamentals of what they're trying to do, create opportunities for a lot of these projects moving forward but what impact does that have on residents and certainly communities?" asks McNamara.
This is not the only recent bill that seeks to overrule municipal decision-making. A bill that passed last term mandates municipalities seek provincial approval to add a bike lane where a lane of vehicular traffic needs to be removed.
The province has also passed a bill to expand strong mayor powers, removing some authority from municipal councillors.
"It is a bit concerning. I think we are a democratically elected representative, we've been elected to do and serve our community and some of those initiatives and powers are being stripped away," said McNamara.
NDP Leader Marit Stiles called the passing of Bill 5 shameful.
"The government gave themselves unprecedented power, to create no-law zones anywhere they want, to do whatever they want. Premier Ford is using Donald Trump’s tariff threats to give himself the power to do away with laws with the stroke of a pen. They are ignoring their treaty obligations. But the fight against Bill 5 is far from over," said Stiles. "“We know what happened when the government forced through the Notwithstanding clause, when they attacked the rights of workers, when they carved up the Greenbelt for their insiders – the people of Ontario fought back."