Don’t let Doug Ford gut Ontario’s environmental rights
The Ford government’s latest massive omnibus bill — Bill 140, the Building Ontario Faster Act, 2026 — proposes to strip the public of fundamental rights and tools to participate in environmental decision-making enshrined in the Ontario Environmental Bill of Rights (EBR).
What you can do
We need a chorus of voices to oppose the gutting of the EBR and stand up for the very ability to raise our voices to fight for clean air, water and lands. Send a message to the premier, your MPP, the Environmental Registry of Ontario consultation and the legislative committee reviewing the bill by November 17, 2026.
Why does this matter
If passed, Bill 140 would eliminate mandatory public notices and consultation requirements for a range of environmental policies and take away public tools to appeal environmental approvals or request investigations into environmental offences. These tools have been used successfully in the past: reviews of water-taking permits, the establishment of Oak Ridges Moraine protections and the reversal of the Greenbelt land sell-offs.
Points to consider
(Use to add or edit in your email)
- I am writing to express my profound opposition to the proposed changes to environmental oversight outlined in Schedules 7, 8 and 9 of Bill 140, the Building Ontario Faster Act, 2026. I am deeply troubled that this legislation directly threatens our democratic rights under the Environmental Bill of Rights (EBR) and strips vital environmental protections for Ontarians and First Nations.
- My primary concern with Bill 140, the Building Ontario Faster Act, 2026, lies with the proposed repeal of public legal tools in the EBR, including stripping mandatory public notices and consultation, the requirement of ministries to develop statements of environmental values, the right of third party appeals to environmental approvals and the ability to request reviews and investigations into environmental policies and offences. These are the mechanisms that allow everyday citizens to be aware of and provide feedback on decision-making that impacts their environment. These rights are a crucial line of defence for communities to protect their water, air quality, land and health.
- Environmental oversight is not abstract — it is a matter of basic health and safety. Since the Environmental Bill of Rights’ implementation in 1993, the public has employed their rights under the EBR many times to alert the government to bad environmental actors, overturn environmentally and health damaging decisions and achieve protections for land, water and air. This includes the adjustment of operations of polluting industries such as incinerators, reviews of water-taking permits, the establishment of Oak Ridges Moraine protections and the reversal of the Greenbelt land sell-offs. For this reason I oppose Bill 140, the Building Ontario Faster Act, 2026 which takes away rights under the EBR.
- Industrial projects and developments must be accountable to the public. Without the democratic right to challenge decisions that threaten the environment, we are left powerless to protect the water, air and lands our families and livelihoods depend on. I urge the government to listen to the voices of Ontarians, First Nations, environmental organizations and lawyers. Do the right thing and remove the environmentally damaging and undemocratic schedules from Bill 140 to preserve robust public consultation and review rights.
Points to consider
(Use to add or edit in your email)
- I am writing to express my profound opposition to the proposed changes to environmental oversight outlined in Schedules 7, 8 and 9 of Bill 140, the Building Ontario Faster Act, 2026. I am deeply troubled that this legislation directly threatens our democratic rights under the Environmental Bill of Rights (EBR) and strips vital environmental protections for Ontarians and First Nations.
- My primary concern with Bill 140, the Building Ontario Faster Act, 2026, lies with the proposed repeal of public legal tools in the EBR, including stripping mandatory public notices and consultation, the requirement of ministries to develop statements of environmental values, the right of third party appeals to environmental approvals and the ability to request reviews and investigations into environmental policies and offences. These are the mechanisms that allow everyday citizens to be aware of and provide feedback on decision-making that impacts their environment. These rights are a crucial line of defence for communities to protect their water, air quality, land and health.
- Environmental oversight is not abstract — it is a matter of basic health and safety. Since the Environmental Bill of Rights’ implementation in 1993, the public has employed their rights under the EBR many times to alert the government to bad environmental actors, overturn environmentally and health damaging decisions and achieve protections for land, water and air. This includes the adjustment of operations of polluting industries such as incinerators, reviews of water-taking permits, the establishment of Oak Ridges Moraine protections and the reversal of the Greenbelt land sell-offs. For this reason I oppose Bill 140, the Building Ontario Faster Act, 2026 which takes away rights under the EBR.
- Industrial projects and developments must be accountable to the public. Without the democratic right to challenge decisions that threaten the environment, we are left powerless to protect the water, air and lands our families and livelihoods depend on. I urge the government to listen to the voices of Ontarians, First Nations, environmental organizations and lawyers. Do the right thing and remove the environmentally damaging and undemocratic schedules from Bill 140 to preserve robust public consultation and review rights.