Government weighs Bill 5 changes, minister says essence wont change [Video]

The Ford government says it is working on amendments to its most controversial piece of new legislation, but a senior minister says the changes won’t move won’t touch the “essence” of the bill.

The Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, also known as Bill 5, was proposed by the province to speed up mining projects in the north and has been met with a fierce wave of backlash from First Nations leaders and environmental groups.

As part of the legislation, the province is set to create so-called special economic zones that would suspend provincial and municipal laws for certain projects.

Premier Doug Ford has said the province intends to declare the critical mineral-rich Ring of Fire in northern Ontario one such zone.

Since the bill’s introduction, however, the government has faced sustained pressure to walk the plan back — and this week, it began indicating changes could be on the horizon.