By Marissa Lentz-McGrath, Local Journalism Initiative, TimminsToday.com Michel Koostachin is one of many who have made the trip to Queen\u2019s Park in recent weeks. He and other northern leaders are raising red flags over Bill 5. The bill, Protecting Ontario by Enabling Economic Growth Act, would grant the Ontario government powers to exempt developers from environmental laws, municipal bylaws, and consultation requirements with First Nations to fast-track development projects. Koostachin is the founder of Friends of the Attawapiskat River, a nonprofit organization from Treaty No. 9 territory raising awareness about environmental threats tied to industrial development, including the Ring of Fire. \u201cWe just basically wanted to tell them, \u2018You guys are corrupt,\u2019\u201d Koostachin told TimminsToday. \u201cThe rich are trying to get richer. We\u2019ve seen this before. We\u2019re not protesters, we\u2019re… <\/p>\n
By Marissa Lentz-McGrath, Local Journalism Initiative, TimminsToday.com Michel Koostachin is one of many who have made the trip to Queen\u2019s Park in recent weeks. He and other northern leaders are raising red flags over Bill 5. The bill, Protecting Ontario by Enabling Economic Growth Act, would grant the Ontario government powers to exempt developers from environmental laws, municipal bylaws, and consultation requirements with First Nations to fast-track development projects. Koostachin is the founder of Friends of the Attawapiskat River, a nonprofit organization from Treaty No. 9 territory raising awareness about environmental threats tied to industrial development, including the Ring of Fire. \u201cWe just basically wanted to tell them, \u2018You guys are corrupt,\u2019\u201d Koostachin told TimminsToday. \u201cThe rich are trying to get richer. We\u2019ve seen this before. We\u2019re not protesters, we\u2019re... <\/p>\n