Building Canada Act a 'troubling threat' to Indigenous rights, says Amnesty International Canada

Edzi'u Loverin · CBC News

· Posted: Jul 08, 2025 5:30 PM EDT | Last Updated: 3 hours ago

A planetary quality rights enactment has added to calls condemning national authorities that galore accidental volition interaction Indigenous rights successful Canada.

In a quality merchandise Tuesday, Amnesty International Canada said the Building Canada Act (Bill C-5) a instrumentality that volition let projects deemed beneficial to nationalist involvement to bypass immoderate national laws, poses a "troubling threat" to the rights of Indigenous Peoples.

"The close to free, anterior and informed consent is enshrined successful home and planetary law, including the UN Declaration connected the Rights of Indigenous Peoples," the merchandise said.

"Bill C-5 encourages the fast-tracking of infrastructure projects without safeguarding Indigenous Peoples' close to free, anterior and informed consent implicit improvement proposals that impact their territories."

Amnesty International Canada did not respond to a petition for an interview.

Bill C-5 became instrumentality June 26 with Conservative support, contempt absorption from Indigenous leaders across the country.

Twenty-eight senators had backed an amendment proposed by Sen. Paul Prosper to see explicit free, prior, and informed consent by Indigenous Peoples successful the connection of the law. The amendment was voted down.

WATCH: Sen. Paul Prosper's speech:

"Too often Indigenous peoples are painted arsenic barriers to progress," Prosper told the Senate during the debate.

"No 1 wants our children to turn up successful squalor with nary entree to cleanable water, nary accidental for bully paying jobs and nary enactment for our sick and dying. However we bash not privation occurrence and advancement to travel on the backs of Indigenous peoples."

'Our rights are not for sale'

Prime Minister Mark Carney has framed C-5 arsenic a viable and captious mode to combat the urgent economical menace of U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs connected the Canadian economy.

The federal government has said that Indigenous Peoples volition beryllium consulted during the process of choosing the projects to beryllium designated and the reappraisal process for projects chosen volition see further consultations with those perchance impacted by them.

The national authorities has besides announced a bid of "summits" that volition instrumentality spot implicit the summertime with First Nations, Inuit and Métis. 

A connection past period from the Assembly of First Nations said it would beryllium holding a virtual forum with chiefs connected July 10 to sermon amendments made to Bill C-5, up of the premier minister's planned gathering with First Nations connected July 17.

Woodhouse antecedently said her bureau was fixed 1 week to reappraisal Bill C-5.

"Canadians and Parliamentarians should cognize that First Nations are united," said Woodhouse successful the statement.

"Our rights are not for sale."