Premier Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives have passed Bill 5, setting their controversial “special economic zones” legislation to become law in Ontario.
Ford’s PCs voted yesterday (Wednesday) to pass the legislation titled the Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act. The bill only needs royal assent.
The law will give the provincial cabinet the power to designate zones where it could exempt specific projects and proponents, like companies, from any provincial laws, regulations and local bylaws. Opponents also worry it weakens protections for endangered species and heritage and will impact the province’s energy sector and mining.