Money Control Place
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Stocks
  • Investing
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Stocks
  • Investing

Money Control Place

Investing

Ontario Tables Sweeping Bill to Restrict Foreign Access to Critical Minerals

by admin May 3, 2025
May 3, 2025
Ontario Tables Sweeping Bill to Restrict Foreign Access to Critical Minerals

Ontario has introduced legislation aimed at tightening control over the province’s mining and energy sectors by limiting foreign involvement, fast-tracking resource development and scaling back species-at-risk protections.

The Protect Ontario by Unleashing Our Economy Act, 2025, also known as Bill 5, was announced at the Toronto Stock Exchange on April 17 by Premier Doug Ford and Energy and Mines Minister Stephen Lecce.

According to the government, the new bill is designed to “safeguard Ontario’s critical minerals, secure the province’s energy infrastructure, and reduce regulatory bottlenecks that hamper development.”

“With President Trump taking direct aim at our economy, it cannot be business as usual,” Ford declared during the announcement, referring to recent US moves to prioritize domestic supply chains for critical resources.

The proposed law would grant the Ontario government sweeping new powers over the mining sector.

These would include the ability to suspend or revoke mining claims, deny transfers or leases and limit access to Ontario’s Mining Lands Administration System — particularly for entities linked to “hostile foreign regimes.”

It would also allow the government to restrict foreign participation in the province’s energy sector.

“In today’s changing world, we need to be clear-eyed about the risks from those who want to exploit our resource bounty,” Lecce said in an April 25 press release that covers the legislation. “That is why it is essential that Ontario is protecting our critical minerals and energy sector from getting into the wrong hands.”

Kevin Holland, member of provincial parliament for Thunder Bay-Atikokan, added that the measures are especially significant for Northern Ontario, where the economy is deeply tied to resource extraction.

“Ontario is taking important actions to protect our mining and energy assets during this volatile time,” he said.

Rolling back environmental protections

According to the provincial government, the legislation is partially a response to concerns raised in a 2021 national security report in which Canada’s natural resources are identified as a strategic vulnerability.

However, the proposed legislation has sparked sharp criticism from environmental advocates who warn that Bill 5 undermines Ontario’s Endangered Species Act. It would be replaced with a much narrower Species Conservation Act that redefines what constitutes a species’ habitat.

Under current law, a habitat includes all areas a species needs to live, migrate and reproduce. The new definition reduces this to “a dwelling place, such as a den, nest or other similar place,” plus the immediate surrounding area.

Critics argue that this change all but guarantees habitat loss for vulnerable species.

“The definition of habitat is so narrow that what it means is less habitat than the species has now,” Laura Bowman, a lawyer with the environmental law charity Ecojustice, told CBC. “And less habitat than the species has now, for a species already in decline, virtually ensures extirpation or extinction,” she added

The bill would also eliminate the requirement for recovery strategies once a species is declared at risk — a key mechanism under the current law that sets out steps to restore populations to sustainable levels.

The legislation is part of Ontario’s push to accelerate development in the Ring of Fire, a mineral-rich region in the province’s far north. The Ford government has long touted the area’s potential to supply key inputs like nickel, lithium and chromite for electric vehicles and clean technologies. According to the government, Bill 5 will “cut red tape and streamline approvals” to jumpstart projects that are currently mired in lengthy environmental and consultation processes — often involving Indigenous communities whose territories overlap with planned developments.

Despite the growing need for secure critical minerals supply chains, the decision to pair national security rhetoric with the rollback of environmental protections is likely to ignite political and legal challenges in the months ahead.

Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

Keep reading…Show less

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

0
FacebookTwitterGoogle +Pinterest
previous post
Deep-Sea Crisis: Can the ISA Regain Control of the Deep Ocean?
next post
Week Ahead: While NIFTY Continues To Consolidate, Watching These Levels Crucial

Related Posts

Silver Crown Royalties Engages Investor Cubedfor Investor Relations...

February 24, 2025

Could the Silver Price Really Hit US$100 per...

November 28, 2023

Top 5 Palladium- and Platinum-producing Countries (Updated 2023)

June 29, 2023

SEC Charges Binance and Coinbase in Attempt to...

June 12, 2023

6 Lithium-ion Battery Types (Updated 2023)

August 29, 2023

OPINION — New IRS Crypto Tax Regulations Create...

September 7, 2023

Québec Communities Vote “No” to La Loutre Graphite...

September 6, 2025

Atlantic Lithium Limited (ASX: A11) – Trading Halt

December 16, 2023

Lithium Market Forecast: Top Trends That Will Affect...

February 22, 2024

Successful Placement to Raise $750,000

June 27, 2024

    Get free access to all of the retirement secrets and income strategies from our experts! or Join The Exclusive Subscription Today And Get the Premium Articles Acess for Free


    By opting in you agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.

    Latest

    • S&P 500 Breaking Out Again: What This Means for Your Portfolio

    • Presenting on Emerging Growth Conference 87 Day 2 on October 23; Register to live stream

    • CHARBONE annonce la reception des principales composantes sur le site de Sorel-Tracy et le lancement des travaux civils

    • CHARBONE Announces the Reception of the Main Components at the Sorel-Tracy Site and the Launch of Civil Works

    • Allied Critical Metals Drills 10.0 Metres of 1.11% Tungstenat Borralha

    • Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization Trade Resumption – WHY

    Categories

    • Business (1,401)
    • Investing (3,057)
    • Politics (3,699)
    • Stocks (1,827)
    • Uncategorized (20)
    • About us
    • Contact us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Disclaimer: MoneyControlPlace.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

    Copyright © 2025 moneycontrolplace.com | All Rights Reserved