Opinion: Bill C-5: Rest in peace, reconciliation?
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The mantra is 'build, baby, build' with Bill C-5 the midwife of this plan. The haste with which this legislation was rushed through Parliament is troubling many, as was the Trump-like urgency behind getting an agreement on internal trade by Canada Day.
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There's no question that Mark Carney has a lot of political capital to spend and he has to exploit the honeymoon afterglow. It is also true that the logic of his actions is sound: Canada has been far too dependent on trade with the Americans — an understandable strategy if a multibillion-dollar market sits on your doorstep.
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With that market disappearing, moves to find others in Europe and beyond are necessary, as are plans to forge a closer relationship with the European Union. However, embedding the ability to bypass pesky regulations and perhaps limit public consultations to accelerate construction of major projects, does not inspire confidence. Legitimate concerns have been expressed by, among others, Indigenous and environmental groups, who feel that their voices will be muted, if not silenced.
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The cost of living and the housing shortage dominated the recent federal election, easing out issues like climate change, health care, et cetera. Here again, not surprising, since having a roof over one's head must take precedence over everything else. Building housing at breakneck speed is one thing, but fast-tracking mega-projects is something else entirely. Is it wise to put the environment on the back burner when evidence of a warming planet smacks us in the face every summer? And is there not a danger that Indigenous interests may be sidelined in pursuit of a new National Policy? RIP Reconciliation?
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The duty to consult Indigenous groups has been affirmed and clarified by various Supreme Court decisions and Canada's ratification of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People. The latter obliges the federal government to uphold the principle of 'free, prior and informed consent' of Indigenous groups before resource-development projects affecting their lands can proceed.
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It is important to point out that Aboriginal groups have a very different attitude to decision-making. They do not make important decisions lightly. They consider their impact far into the future to determine how the seventh generation will be affected. While this might seem excessive to Settler society, one would hope that we would, at the very least, consider the repercussions of our actions on our grandchildren.
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In fact, we could learn much from Indigenous values and attitudes to resources, especially with respect to water. Aboriginal groups do not frame the discussion in terms of their rights to water — rather, the focus is on their obligations to it. While Settlers believe they have dominion over the earth, Indigenous people adhere to an ethic of responsibility when interacting with water and other resources. They consider themselves stewards of nature's bounty obliged to protect and preserve it for future generations.
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Published Jul 30, 2025 • 4 minute read The original charter of the Hudson's Bay Company is seen at the National Research Council in Ottawa in 1997. Photo by Pat McGrath / Ottawa Citizen / Postmedia Network TORONTO — The royal charter that formed Hudson's Bay about 355 years ago could soon be getting a new home. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The Canadian Museum of History announced Wednesday that the Weston family, of Loblaw Cos. Ltd. fame, wants to buy the document and donate it to the Quebec institution. The charter was signed by King Charles II in 1670. It gave the Bay rights to a vast swath of land spanning most of Canada and extraordinary power over trade and Indigenous relations for decades more. The museum says the acquisition still needs court approval but if that is obtained, the Westons will donate the document immediately and permanently. 'At a time when Canada is navigating profound challenges and seeking renewed unity, it is more important than ever that we hold fast to the symbols and stories that define us as a nation,' said Galen Weston in a statement. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'The Royal Charter is an important artifact within Canada's complex history. Our goal is to ensure it is preserved with care, shared with integrity, and made accessible to all Canadians, especially those whose histories are deeply intertwined with its legacy.' His family made its fortune through Canadian retail chains including Holt Renfrew, as well as several European department stores. As part of its proposed purchase of the charter, the museum said the family has offered additional funding to support 'a meaningful consultation process' with Indigenous Peoples on how the Royal Charter 'can be shared, interpreted and contextualized in a manner that respects Indigenous perspectives and historical experiences.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The funding will help the museum explore ways to share the charter with other museums and through public exhibitions. Caroline Dromaguet, the museum's president and CEO, said the donation is of 'enormous importance to Canada' and 'will serve as a catalyst for national dialogue, education and reconciliation for generations to come.' Read More The Westons expressed an interest in buying the charter after the Bay filed for creditor protection in March under the weight of $1.1 billion in debt. The company later liquidated and closed all 96 stores under the Bay and Saks Canada banners. It got permission from a judge in April to work with auction house Heffel Gallery to sell 2,700 artifacts and 1,700 art pieces the retailer owned, including the charter. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The move sparked concern from archival institutions, governments and Indigenous groups, including the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, which all worried it would allow pieces of Canadian and Indigenous history to wind up in private hands and away from public view. Hudson's Bay hasn't held its auction nor released a full catalogue of items that will be available, though it has allowed groups to view an inventory of the collection if they sign non-disclosure agreements. A source familiar with the Bay's collection, who was not authorized to speak publicly, told The Canadian Press previously that paintings, point blankets, paper documents and even collectible Barbie dolls are part of the trove. Historians believe the charter is likely the most coveted piece the retailer owned. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'It's 100 per cent their crown jewel,' said Cody Groat, a historian of Canadian and Indigenous history who serves as the chair of the UNESCO Memory of the World Advisory Committee in an April interview. 'There is no doubt this is the most significant document that the Hudson's Bay Company has access to or that they've ever produced.' Thomas Caldwell, CEO of Toronto investment manager Urbana Corp., agreed. He told The Canadian Press in the spring that he was interested in purchasing and giving the parchment document with a royal wax seal to a museum. At the time, he said donating the piece would 'make more sense' for whoever buys it because 'it's a big hassle to have something historic like that in an office or in a home.' He speculated that it would need to be insured, have constant security and likely require storage in precise temperatures to preserve it. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. For many years, the Bay kept the royal charter at its head office in Toronto, though it was temporarily loaned to the Manitoba Museum in 2020. That museum and the Archives of Manitoba hold the bulk of the Bay's artifacts. The company donated them to the organizations in the 1990s, so many thought they'd be a natural home for the charter. 'We know exactly where it belongs in our system,' Kathleen Epp, keeper of Manitoba's Hudson's Bay Co. archives, told The Canadian Press in April. 'We think of (the charter) as part of our records in a way already because … we've got the rest of the story and so we feel like it makes sense for the charter to be here and to be as publicly accessible as any of the other records.' MLB Celebrity Wrestling Toronto & GTA Ontario
