Canada’s “Consultation” is Colonial Window Dressing — Repeal Bill C-5

WHO: Draw the Line Coalition

MEDIA CONTACT: Gur Tsabar and Alicia Parker, [email protected]

Toronto, ON - Canada talks a lot about “nation-to-nation” relationships, but its record tells a different story. Time and again, governments have rolled out shallow, last-minute, or purely symbolic consultations with Indigenous communities while pressing forward with the same colonial agenda. The latest example is the federal government’s Major Projects Office and its Indigenous Advisory Council (IAC) — both created under Bill C-5 — with the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) confirming that they were not consulted on the IAC’s mandate, composition, or role.

“This is not an accident or a one-off,” said Willo Prince, Campaign Manager at Indigenous Climate Action. “It is a continuation of Canada’s pattern: decide first, consult later — if at all. When consultation is just a box to check, it becomes another tool of colonialism.”

Bill C-5 gives sweeping powers to the federal government to designate “projects of national interest” and fast-track them through regulatory approvals: pipelines, mines, and megaprojects that threaten Indigenous rights, lands, waters, and communities. Passed in just 20 days with little meaningful dialogue with First Nations, Inuit, or Métis peoples, it is the latest chapter in Canada’s long history of prioritizing corporate profit over Indigenous sovereignty. The MPO and IAC are emblematic of this approach: advisory structures meant to signal inclusion while leaving ultimate power in Ottawa’s hands.

We demand nothing less than real nation-to-nation decision-making. Canada must repeal Bill C-5, end the legislative shortcuts that silence Indigenous voices, and finally enshrine free, prior, and informed consent in law and practice. It must invest in a future rooted in Indigenous sovereignty by funding housing, revitalizing languages, restoring land-based economies, and advancing climate solutions led by Indigenous communities. And it must deliver justice for MMIWG2S by fully implementing the Calls for Justice and ending ongoing colonial violence. Anything short of this is just more of the same window dressing.

On September 20th, tens of thousands will mobilize across 60+ Canada cities to draw the line against this billionaire agenda that puts corporate profit over people's lives and basic needs. Full details of all the actions can be found at drawtheline.world/dtl-canada-s11.

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The Draw the Line mobilizations in Canada are organized by Seniors for Climate, Migrant Rights Network, Indigenous Climate Action, Sacred Earth Solar, Climate Action Network Canada (CAN-Rac), 350.org, World Beyond War Canada, For Our Kids, Climate Reality Project Canada, Climate Emergency Unit, Greenpeace Canada, Council of Canadians, Music Declares Emergency, and Palestine Solidarity Network, and endorsed by over 300 organizations representing millions of Canadians. From rallies to strikes, marches to gatherings, this September 20th, communities will mobilize across the country and demand that Prime Minister Carney and the Canadian government pick a side: injustice, violence, and climate destruction- or a just and safe future for all of us.

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