OTTAWA — A First Nations chief is warning that Canada is “staring down the barrel” of another wave of protests like the Idle No More movement if governments pursue “national interest” projects without their input and consent.
Anishinabek Nation Regional Chief Scott McLeod has joined a chorus of leaders from across the country who say they’re alarmed by government efforts to fast-track infrastructure development.
The federal government is developing a “national interest” bill to fast-track nation-building projects with a streamlined regulatory approval process as a substitute for reviews under the Impact Assessment Act.
In Ontario, Premier Doug Ford is pursuing legislation — Bill 5 — that would enable cabinet to designate “special economic zones” where companies or projects wouldn’t have to comply with selected laws or regulations.
McLeod said chiefs have been sending provincial and federal officials “warning shots” about the sorts of disruptions such projects could face if Indigenous communities are not properly consulted.
National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak of the Assembly of First Nations issued a warning to the provinces and Ottawa, saying it “may not end well” if they make decisions about major infrastructure projects at next week’s first ministers meeting in Saskatoon without First Nations involvement.
The Assembly of First Nations has long called for its inclusion at first ministers meetings but has only been able to secure secondary meetings with prime ministers ahead of the official meetings.
Given the stakes of the upcoming meeting, Nepinak said First Nations exclusion is “very disrespectful.” Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations Vice Chief David Pratt, meanwhile, is calling for governments to “smarten up.”
McLeod said the last time Indigenous leaders saw something like what the federal government is proposing now was “in 2012 with Bill C-45, that had a lot of the same language and the same impacts on First Nations which sparked Idle No More.
“We all know what happened then.”
The Idle No More movement was sparked by that omnibus bill, introduced by then-prime minister Stephen Harper’s government.
Indigenous leaders warned the bill, intended to ramp up resource development, would trample on their rights while giving governments and businesses more authority to develop resources without thorough environmental assessments.
Leaders allied with the Idle No More movement staged protests, rallies and blockades on railway lines and highways and earned widespread support from across the country.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 30, 2025.
Alessia Passafiume, The Canadian Press
