With a unanimous vote from council at their May 20 meeting, Kingston is joining the chorus of environmental groups, Indigenous leaders, and a growing number of Ontario municipalities formally opposing the Province’s controversial Bill 5.
Bill 5, or the Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, was proposed with the promise of speeding up infrastructure and resource extraction projects. Specific changes include replacing the Endangered Species Act, and enabling the creation of Special Economic Zones, which would exempt “trusted proponents” from complying with provincial regulations.
“Bill 5 has been opposed by every environmental group I’m aware of,” Councillor Lisa Osanic said when bringing the motion before council. “…We’re already in the middle of a biodiversity crisis. More than 230 species in Ontario are already at risk of extinction. The Endangered Species Act needs to be enforced and Bill 5 needs to be stopped.”
