The Ontario government has agreed to amend mining Bill 5 after a wave of criticism from Indigenous peoples, but it is not going to be abandoned. The bill aims to speed up the launch of mining projects, including the creation of “special economic zones” where local regulations can be suspended.

The bill will now require consultation with Indigenous communities at all stages and allow the creation of “special Indigenous zones” at the initiative of the communities themselves. The first such zone is planned for the resource-rich Ring of Fire region in the north of the province, but local communities have already expressed their intention to protect their lands.

Ministers Greg Rickford and Stephen Lecce emphasized that the Ring of Fire will not receive special status without the consent of all communities. “The consultation obligation will be enshrined in law and implemented to the highest standards,” Rickford said.

Chiefs of Ontario, an organization representing 133 communities, is calling for the bill to be rejected and the process to be restarted. Some leaders have already arrived in Queen’s Park to protest.

Authorities are promising real negotiations, investment in infrastructure and a shift away from diesel to more sustainable energy sources. The law is expected to be passed next week, after which the government plans to meet with the leaders.