$1.25 Newsstand Price
Weekly Independent Local News
Friday, June 20, 2025

Trent Lakes Council asks province to repeal Bill 5

BY MARNIE CLEMENT

Trent Lakes council narrowly passed a resolution this week asking that Bill 5, the Protecting Ontario by Unleashing Our Economy Act, be repealed by the provincial government,

In a Notice of Motion Deputy Mayor Carol Armstrong put forward “That Trent Lakes Council joins with our neighbour Curve Lake First Nation in requesting that Bill 5 be repealed and any new legislation to advance housing and infrastructure growth respect existing environmental protections, municipal planning authority and the rights of First Nations.”

Bill 5 became law last week. The bill creates special economic zones which will allow the provincial cabinet to exempt companies or projects from having to follow any municipal or provincial law.  

The bill is receiving a lot of criticism from First Nations, environmental groups, farmers and the general public.

Armstrong said that council had received information from the Town of Orangeville opposing the bill at the June 3rd council meeting and now council may want to reconsider and support that letter because Bill 5 is continuing to be met with considerable opposition.

“Bill 5 introduces substantial changes to environmental planning legislation, including rolling back environmental assessments and protections and the repeal of the Endangered Species Act,” she wrote in her motion.  “Bill 5 risks weakening safeguards for Ontario’s natural heritage and reducing the role of municipalities in managing growth in a responsible and locally informed manner.”

Councillor John Braybrook did not support the motion and said that he is concerned about the lack of development in the municipality.

“I believe we have to look at ways of increasing our tax revenues,” he said.  “We need to protect the environment but we also have to protect our financial health.”

“We have not yet had an opportunity to analyze Bill 5’s effect on Trent Lakes,” he said.

Mayor Terry Lambshead, who also voted against the motion, said he heard directly from MPP Dave Smith that the government will be doing lots of consulting with First Nations and that consultation will be more fulsome and not be done in stops and starts.

“And I’m sure they will be replacing the Endangered Species Act,” he added.

Armstrong said that any development is always a balancing act.

“But Bill 5 goes too far and takes away the value of municipalities local planning authority,” she said.

Council passed Armstrong’s motion by a vote of three to two with “yes” votes coming from Armstrong, Franzen and Councillor Joe Cadigan.  Braybook and Lambshead voted against it.