First Nations opposition to Bill C-5 draws comparisons to Idle No More movement

Samantha Schwientek · CBC News

· Posted: Jul 01, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 9 minutes ago

As much First Nations dependable absorption to Bill C-5, immoderate are drawing comparisons to the 2012 Idle No More movement. 

Hayden King, enforcement manager of the Yellowhead Institute, an Indigenous-led probe and acquisition centre astatine Toronto Metropolitan University, said some the velocity with which it was passed and ideas successful the measure punctual him of erstwhile premier curate Stephen Harper's omnibus measure that helped make the Idle No More movement. 

"It was trying to bash the precise aforesaid thing, right? It was trying to fast-track assets improvement and it got pushed backmost and it got resistance," said King, who is Anishinaabe from Beausoleil First Nation successful Ontario.

"And arsenic fundamentally [Prime Minister Mark] Carney's archetypal act, he's taken up that mantle to truly thrust and propulsion that extractive assets development."

Passed into instrumentality past week, Bill C-5 aims to region interprovincial commercialized barriers portion another, much controversial, part of the instrumentality aims to velocity up projects of nationalist interest, including vigor improvement projects, by allowing special "designated projects" to bypass immoderate national laws.

"We're talking astir taxon astatine hazard laws, Fisheries Act, and I deliberation importantly for Indigenous people, we're talking about… the Impact Assessment Act and the Canadian Energy Regulator Act," King said. 

Under the Impact Assessment Act, Indigenous radical indispensable beryllium consulted and Indigenous cognition and rights — and impacts connected those rights — should beryllium considered during a project's assessment. 

Each of these laws outline what consultation should look like, King added, truthful without them, communities are unsure however overmuch they volition beryllium consulted.

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 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.

National Chief Cindy Woodhouse's connection besides thanked Mi'kmaw Sen. Paul Prosper who projected an amendment past week to person free, prior, and informed consent included successful the bill, though it was voted down.

Wide array of concerns implicit bill

Many Indigenous communities and groups person enactment retired statements outlining their concerns with the bill, successful summation to demonstrations and different actions similar a letter-writing campaign. 

Earlier this month, the Chiefs of Ontario released a connection saying that the measure was being pushed done Parliament "at an unprecedented speed."

In the aforesaid statement, Temagami Chief Shelly Moore-Frappier said "this measure is astir exercising powerfulness implicit the First Peoples and our lands and resources."

Multiple nations successful Alberta person besides released statements, including Samson Cree Nation which called C-5 the "No Indigenous Rights" bill, adding that it cannot beryllium utilized to bypass the request for free, anterior and informed consent connected projects. 

Similarly, Assembly of First Nations Québec-Labrador said the federal government chose confrontation alternatively than co-operation successful its attack to passing the bill, and said it did "nothing astir climate, biodiversity oregon a conscionable transition."

Idle No More Ontario, a grassroots group, called C-5 and akin provincial bills a betrayal of the United Nations Declaration connected the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and pact obligations

"In presumption of respecting Indigenous rights, respecting Indigenous sovereignty, respecting Indigenous peoples jurisdiction — surely to accidental nary to unwelcome improvement successful their territory — nary of these pieces of authorities marque immoderate abstraction for that," King said.

'Layer upon layer' of approvals slows down projects, says advocate

John Desjarlais, enforcement manager of the Indigenous Resource Network, an enactment that advocates for workers, concern owners and communities who enactment Indigenous inclusion successful the earthy resources sector, said he doesn't spot thing successful the measure that is "designed to bypass rights."

Rather, helium said, the measure is an accidental to respond to satellite forces while respecting constitutionally protected rights.

"We've ne'er seen… authorities truthful consenting and capable to get to the table," Desjarlais said. 

Desjarlais said he's heard signals from the authorities that Indigenous equity and ownership of infrastructure projects volition beryllium outcomes of the bill. 

"There's a beardown assurance there, which means that these communities tin usage these root revenues to to self-determine and to reinvest successful their communities connected their terms," helium said. 

In airy of the galore statements brought guardant by First Nations groups, Desjarlais said, "I err connected the broadside of that maybe determination wasn't capable [consultation]."

"It's ever a situation to find what's an due level of consultation."

Because of humanities circumstances wherever projects were pursued without due oregon capable consultation of Indigenous rights holders, Desjarlais said, the existent support strategy has become hazard averse with galore sets of approvals to spell through.

"But this is wherever it becomes a small burdensome, furniture upon furniture upon layer," helium said. 

The authorities has said the extremity of the measure is to velocity up the approvals process truthful that projects tin implicit national reappraisal successful nether 2 years.

Desjarlais said erstwhile projects scope a constituent wherever "we cognize 90 per cent of what we request to know" past much consultation lone slows down the process. At that point, helium said, it's OK for projects to determination guardant and past accommodate aboriginal if needs arise.