Last-minute changes to Ontario mining bill are not good enough, First Nations say [Video]

Last-minute changes to a controversial Ontario mining bill are not good enough and ignore a central plea to work together on drafting legislation, First Nations said Thursday.

Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler of Nishnawbe Aski Nation, which represents 49 First Nations in northern Ontario, said the province should scrap Bill 5 and write a new law alongside Indigenous leaders that would allow for shared prosperity.

“It’s just way too late in the process. It’s an insult to our leadership for the government to now come back to us with some proposed amendments,” Fiddler said. “It’s just not acceptable.”

The proposed law seeks to speed up the development of large projects such as mines, and while First Nations are not necessarily opposed to such moves, they want a seat at the …