Proposed Ontario bill would strip away key environmental protections, advocates say [Video]

Proposed Ontario legislation that would give cabinet power to create “special economic zones” and allow the government to exempt itself from following laws on certain projects is little more than a power grab, First Nations, civil liberty groups and environmentalists say.

Critics say the bill, known as the Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, is designed to ensure projects such as Premier Doug Ford’s proposed tunnel under Highway 401 and critical mineral mining in northern Ontario get done with little resistance.

Ford pointed to both projects as examples of regions that could be designated as special economic zones once the law is passed.

Ford has long envisioned mining the Ring of Fire, an area that is said to be rich with critical minerals, then refining and shipping those materials to southern Ontario to be used in the burgeoning electric-vehicle battery sector.

On Tuesday, the premier outlined how important the …