Chiefs of Ontario meeting opens with call to action...Parliament Hill rally against governments' bills - The Turtle Island News

By Turtle Island News staff HIAWATHA FIRST NATIONS- The three-day Chiefs of Ontario (COO) 50th anniversary meeting opened here this morning amid a call to action to descend on Parliament Hill after First Nations were hit by both Ontario and federal bills including Ontario’s Bill 5, Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act and Ottawa’s proposed Bill C-5, One Canadian Economy Act without consultation. Both bills are expected to hit First Nations hard. Ottawa’s proposed bill C-5 will grant sweeping powers and allowing fast-tracking of major infrastructure projects while undermining Indigenous rights, environmental protections and democratic authority, Chiefs said. The proposed law would allow a single federal minister to approve projects, bypass regulatory safeguards, and override constitutional obligations all without further parliamentary review. At the same time the bill will allow