Hey guys, Councillor Lisa Robinson here. I want to talk to you today about something that concerns every single one of us here living in Ontario, and that’s Bill 5, also known as the “Protecting Ontario by Enabling Economic Growth Act.” But don’t be fooled by the name, because what this bill really does is gut environmental protections, silence Indigenous voices, and hand over more power to developers and politicians at the expense of nature, science, and communities.
Let’s start with what I believe is one of the most dangerous parts of this bill: it repeals Ontario’s Endangered Species Act. For years, that law helped protect over 270 species, animals like the Blanding’s turtle, monarch butterflies, eastern wolf, native bees, and the ecosystems they rely on. Now, those protections are being stripped away. Instead of scientists deciding which species are at risk, this bill puts that kind of power into the hands of politicians. And it narrows the definition of what even counts as habitat. So a turtle’s next might be protected, but the wetland or the forests around it, isn’t. How does that make sense?
Tand it gets worse. Bill5 gives the government the ability to create something called “Special Economic Zones,” carving out entire areas of the province. Wetlands, forests, farmland could be carved out and handed over to developers with zero environmental review, zero environmental consultation and zero accountability. No archeological assessment. No environmental oversight. Just a simple online registration and they’re good to go.Would you agree to something with no governmental oversight, just a simple online registration and they’re good to go. This isn’t responsible growth. It’s reckless and shortsighted. Right now, the global biodiversity crisis is destroying natural habitats in the name of efficiency, and this is the exact opposite of what we should be doing. What if we lose our wetlands, our forests, the pollinators? We will never get them back. That’s our clean water; that’s our flood prevention, that’s our food chain. You can’t pave over our ecosystem and expect things to be okay.
I’m just being honest: this bill disrespects Indigenous rights and weakens the duty to consult. It ignores treaty obligations and it pushes forward projects on traditional territories without proper consent. You know, reconciliation, that’s exploitation.
And if all that wasn’t bad enough, this bill gives cabinet even more power by allowing them to override environmental laws, bypass municipali ties, and avoid public debate. Some even call these “king-like” powers, and that’s the direction we’re heading in Ontario.
You know, I get it, economic growth matters, housing matters, and jobs matter. But none of that means anything if we don’t protect the land that we live on. We can build smart, we can build responsibly. We’re not like this. That’s why I’m calling on the government to stop Bill 5. I’m just listening to the people, to the scientists, and to the communities who are sounding the alarm because once we destroy our environment, our economy won’t be able to grow.
Thanks for listening. Stay informed and stay vocal and say “no” to Bill 5. I am Councillor Lisa Robinson, the People’s Councillor, and I work for you, for people who believe in honesty, transparency, and leadership that puts truth before politics and people before power, then stand with me. Share the truth and help take back our city one voice at a time. Thanks for watching, and God bless.
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