Ontario’s SEZs: A Legislative Power Grab Endangering Indigenous Rights and the Environment – JFK Law
May 26th, 2025
Part Two: Unpacking the Special Economic Zones Act, 2025
Ontario’s Bill 5, the “Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, 2025,”[1] has unleashed a torrent of criticism. While the government champions it as a tool for economic revitalization, this post focuses on Schedule 9: the “Special Economic Zones Act, 2025.”[2] This legislation doesn’t just tweak existing laws; it threatens to radically reshape Ontario’s legal landscape, concentrating unprecedented power within the executive and creating severe risks for Indigenous rights and environmental stewardship.
1. The Special Economic Zones Act: Unprecedented Executive Power
Schedule 9 of Bill 5 introduces the “Special Economic Zones Act, 2025”. This new Act empowers the Lieutenant Governor in Council (LGIC) to designate vast swathes of Ontario as “special economic zones” (SEZs).[3] Within these zones, the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade gains the authority to handpick “trusted proponents”[4] and “designated projects”.[5]
