Bill 5, Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, 2025

Bill 5, titled the Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, 2025, is an Ontario law principally aimed at accelerating the permitting of infrastructure and mining projects in the province. Through this bill, Ontario aims to shorten the approval process currently averaging 15 years, in line with Canada’s efforts to increase the supply of critical minerals.

Bill 5 creates governmental authority to designate “special economic zones” where companies and projects can be exempted from provincial and municipal regulations. It also establishes a new mining permitting model that aims to cut government review time by half, grants the government the power to deny mining leases to protect strategic supply chains, and replaces the Endangered Species Act, 2007 with a new Species Conservation Act, 2025, among other provisions.

The statute could minimise regulatory costs and delays by exempting projects under the “special economic zones” designation, fast-tracking resource development in Ontario. 

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