Indigenous leaders demand withdrawal of Canada's Bill C-39

Indigenous leaders, including the Chiefs of Ontario and Nishnawbe Aski Nation, are calling for the withdrawal of Bill C-39, also known as the Building Canada Strong Act. The organizations, joined by the Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador and the British Columbia Assembly of First Nations, argue that the proposed legislation could accelerate project approvals without providing communities sufficient time to assess impacts on their lands and waters.

Introduced in September, Bill C-39 aims to reduce duplication and provide investor certainty by setting a one-year deadline for certain federal project decisions. It also allows Ottawa to designate regions of national interest to access streamlined approval frameworks. While the federal government maintains it will uphold treaty obligations and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, Indigenous leaders contend that regional designations do not constitute consent and that the bill limits their ability to obtain necessary technical and legal advice.