SON Stands Firm Against Ontario’s Bill 5
The Saugeen Ojibway Nation (SON) has submitted a formal objection to Ontario’s proposed Bill 5: Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, 2025 — legislation that SON leadership says threatens the Nation’s rights, way of life, and responsibilities to their lands and waters in Saukiing Anishnaabekiing.
In a detailed submission addressed to the Environmental Registry of Ontario and key ministries, SON outlines its strong opposition to Bill 5, which would scale back environmental protections, eliminate safeguards for species at risk, reduce protections for archaeological and cultural heritage, and severely limit opportunities for First Nations consultation.
“The changes Ontario proposes in Bill 5 amount to an attack on our rights and way of life,” the submission reads. “We cannot and will not allow Ontario to destroy our way of life and our Territory.”
Upholding Anishinaabe Law and Treaty Rights
SON asserts its inherent jurisdiction to care for its Territory in accordance with Anishinaabe law and emphasizes its treaty relationship with the Crown. The submission reinforces SON’s responsibility to protect sacred sites, species, and ecosystems for future generations, guided by Anishinaabe values and seven-generation thinking.
A Territory Already Under Pressure
SON outlines the cumulative impacts of nuclear development, aggregate extraction, and declining biodiversity across the Territory, which have already harmed ecosystems, sacred places, and the Nation’s ability to practice its culture and rights.
The letter draws attention to the 2010 SON-Ontario Energy Agreement, which outlines Ontario’s obligation to engage SON in energy project planning and development in the Bruce Peninsula. Bill 5 makes no reference to this binding agreement, a critical omission that could undermine legally established consultation processes.
Objections to Key Parts of Bill 5
SON’s submission outlines several serious objections to components of Bill 5:
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Ontario Heritage Act Amendments
The Bill would allow developers to bypass requirements that protect archaeological and ancestral sites — a direct threat to sites of profound cultural and spiritual importance to SON. -
Replacement of the Endangered Species Act
Bill 5 proposes to replace the Endangered Species Act with a weaker Species Conservation Act, reducing habitat protections and removing independent scientific oversight. SON warns this could cause species extinction in their Territory and beyond. -
Creation of Special Economic Zones
The proposed Special Economic Zones Act would give Ontario the power to exempt projects from provincial laws and bypass municipal oversight — with no clear limits or requirements for consultation. SON considers this incompatible with its legal rights and stewardship responsibilities.
Legal Risk and Broken Promises
SON warns that these sweeping changes will not speed up development, as claimed, but will instead lead to constitutional challenges, legal delays, and conflict between First Nations and project proponents.
“Ontario currently relies on the very processes it seeks to dismantle as a main avenue by which it satisfies its duties to consult and accommodate,” the Chiefs write. “Without those laws, Ontario’s obligations to us do not go away — but there is no path for them to be met.”
SON calls for a halt to the proposed legislation and demands meaningful consultation with First Nations before any such changes move forward.
