Despite years of public outcry and widespread criticism from experts and advocates over weakened conservation laws, the Ford government doubled down on its first day back in power — vowing to slash environmental oversight to fast-track mineral and infrastructure projects.
Critics warn the plan will gut crucial environmental reviews, provoke legal battles, spark First Nations resistance and further weaken protections already under strain.
The backlash follows Tuesday’s throne speech, which pledged new legislation to “streamline” environmental assessment in order to fast-track major infrastructure projects and development in Ontario’s Ring of Fire. While the government frames the move as a response to US trade tensions, saying Ontario is fighting for the future of its economy, opponents call it a thinly veiled push to dismantle safeguards and force through risky, controversial projects.
According to documents obtained by CBC News, the Ford government is preparing a sweeping review of Ontario’s permit system that could eliminate or transform all provincial and municipal permits within a year.
“At a time when Ontario is fighting for the future of its economy, uncertainty in timelines and approvals is no longer acceptable,” said Edith Dumont, the province’s lieutenant-governor, delivering the throne speech on behalf of Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservative government. “What we used to do in decades we must now do in months.”
Dumont said new legislation will give the province the power to fast-track development in the Ring of Fire by designating it a region of strategic importance and streamlining permits for mining, roads, and infrastructure.
Dayna Scott, professor and York University research chair in environmental law and justice in the green economy, warned that the plan will not speed up development as claimed, particularly in remote regions such as the Ring of Fire.
The backlash follows Tuesday’s throne speech, which pledged new legislation to “streamline” environmental assessment in order to fast-track major infrastructure projects and development in Ontario’s Ring of Fire.
“Some things will not move quicker just because permits are ‘pre-approved,’” Scott said, noting that the all-season gravel road needed to access the Ring of Fire could take at least five years to build and would likely cost more than $2 billion due to challenging terrain. “Vast boreal peatlands must be traversed, and ancient eskers will be dug up, even though they are marked by significant archeological and sacred sites.”
Issuing permits without looking into these matters just invites litigation, she added.
Scott said the road would also cross more than 100 fish-bearing watercourses, including the Attawapiskat River — a vital waterway and the sacred homeland of the Neskantaga First Nation, which has consistently opposed the project.
Scott said one permit at risk under the Ford government’s new plan is the federal Fisheries Act authorization — which is only issued when developers can demonstrate that potential impacts on fish habitat are understood and can be mitigated.
Scott drew parallels to 2012, when the Harper government attempted to weaken the Act, prompting Indigenous peoples to launch the Idle No More movement that disrupted railways, border crossings, pipeline construction and other resource projects.
“It is a curious thing for a politician to promise: to decide to issue permits before the actual rules are followed, and before the criteria for issuing the permits are met,” Scott said.
Ford has dismissed federal environmental assessments as “delays,” but Scott said the real delay happened when past governments tried to sideline Indigenous consultation. Cutting corners without following proper process can actually slow things down, she added.
Keith Brooks, programs director at Environmental Defence, said the Ford government is using the current trade tensions as a convenient excuse to roll back environmental protections — a pattern that’s been seen before.
“This is not new for them,” Brooks said. “They [the Ford government] keep offering up various crises as excuses to cut what they call red tape — but which, in our view, are essential environmental regulations and protections.”
Based on this track record, he said, the provincial government does not seem to be very interested in environmental protection, nor in serious consultation with First Nations.
He also pushed back on the government’s narrative that fast-tracking large projects can coexist with maintaining strong environmental standards.
“Trying to fast-track these projects is a mistake. It’s short-sighted and will lead to problems down the road,” Brooks said. “These projects need thorough hearings and genuine consultation. If that doesn’t happen, they’ll be challenged in court — and those delays will be even longer.”
Brooks said that if new legislation moves forward, the federal government should play a stronger role by setting clear standards for environmental reviews and stepping in when provinces fall short. He also argued that economic uncertainty is no excuse for weakening protections, pointing to alternatives such as investing in clean energy and affordable, efficient housing.
The province says it will ensure that northern and First Nations communities see long-term benefits, including through equity partnerships tied to critical mineral development.
Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner called the throne speech a “troubling agenda” for Ontario, accusing the government of reckless spending and environmental abandonment.
“Fast-tracking mineral extraction without proper consultation, and paving over farmland and wetlands is not how we build a better Ontario,” Schreiner said. “We need bold investment in made-in-Ontario, renewable energy solutions, not deeper dependence on expensive, polluting fossil fuels — including American gas.”
Canada’s National Observer reached out to the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication. However, the province’s Environment Minister, Todd McCarthy, posted on X on Wednesday, saying the province is taking bold steps to protect its future and that “the days of making proponents wait for years for approvals and permits is over.”
“We can and will build the Ontario of tomorrow in a way that protects the environment and protects our economy and jobs,” he wrote.
Abdul Matin Sarfraz / Canada’s National Observer / Local Journalism Initiative
