Ontario to table legislation that will speed up mine development

Ontario is set to table legislation that it says will speed up the development of mines.

Officials also say the new bill will do away with several environmental assessments, including one of a proposed mine in the province’s Ring of Fire region and another of a proposed landfill in southwestern Ontario.

Premier Doug Ford says red tape and bureaucracy are holding Ontario’s economy back.

Ford has been pushing hard to mine critical minerals in northern Ontario for years, but has stepped up his efforts in recent months in the face of the trade war with the United States.

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The province will also give itself the power to create “special economic zones” to help speed up projects.

Many First Nations have voiced their concerns about Ford’s plans to mine their traditional territories without their consent.