Ford apologizes for saying First Nations 'keep coming hat in hand' amid Bill 5 controversy

Adam Carter · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 19, 2025 3:54 PM EDT | Last Updated: 4 hours ago

Ontario Premier Doug Ford is apologizing for remarks helium made this week saying that First Nations cannot "keep coming chapeau successful manus each the clip to the government" for much money.

Ford said helium apologized during a gathering astatine Queen's Park Thursday with respective twelve chiefs who are portion of Anishinabek Nation, which represents 39 First Nations successful the province.

"I sincerely apologize for my words — not lone if it wounded each the chiefs successful that room, but each First Nations," Ford said.

"I get passionate due to the fact that I privation prosperity for their communities. I privation prosperity for their children and their grandchildren."

Anishinabek Nation Grand Council Chief Linda Debassige, who appeared alongside Ford astatine a quality league pursuing the meeting, told reporters that the premier has "owned what helium said" and "corrected himself" for the "hat successful hand" comment.

Ford has besides committed to moving with First Nations arsenic a bully pact partner, she said.

"While determination are galore different rightsholders successful this province, our chiefs felt contiguous that the apology was sincere," she said.

"We are looking astatine contiguous arsenic a caller time going forward."

Opposition to Bill 5 remains

Ford's authorities precocious passed into instrumentality Bill 5, which gives furniture the powerfulness to suspend municipal and provincial laws for chosen projects done the instauration of alleged peculiar economical zones.

The premier has said the archetypal specified portion would beryllium the Ring of Fire portion successful bluish Ontario, which is said to beryllium affluent successful captious minerals.

The peculiar economical portion instrumentality is portion of an omnibus measure that the authorities says is needed to velocity up operation of ample infrastructure projects, peculiarly mines.

Bill 5 has sparked outrage among First Nations crossed the state who spot the caller instrumentality arsenic yet different illustration of a authorities trampling their rights and ignoring their concerns.

Many First Nations person threatened to blockade roads, railways and mines if the measure is not repealed.

On Wednesday, Ford said helium is consenting to springiness First Nations immoderate they privation for enactment to make mines, but that came with a warning.

"When I archetypal came into office, I told Minister (Greg) Rickford, 'Treat them well, springiness them what they need, immoderate they privation for them to prosper.' But there's going to beryllium a constituent that you can't conscionable support coming chapeau successful manus each the clip to the government, you've got to beryllium capable to instrumentality attraction of yourselves," Ford said.

"And erstwhile you virtually person golden mines, nickel mines, each benignant of captious mineral that the satellite wants, and you're saying, 'No, no, I don't privation to interaction that, by the way, springiness maine money' — not going to happen."

Premier's comments slammed

Condemnation for those comments was swift. Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak, National Chief of The Assembly of First Nations (AFN), wrote successful a missive to Ford Thursday that each First Nation has the close to explicit their objections.

"As Premier you should beryllium supporting those rights, not pejoratively dismissing them," Nepinak wrote. "Your remarks lone service to perpetuate racist stereotypes and are not acceptable successful immoderate mode oregon circumstance.

"First Nations person expressed substantive ineligible concerns that necessitate dialog and solution successful a respectful mode with the Crown."

Debassige told reporters astatine Thursday's quality league that First Nations wrong the Anishinabek Nation stay opposed to Bill 5, saying that representatives person spoken with the premier to suggest "ideas and solutions."

"We're not present to perpetuate a circus, to perpetuate misinformation — we stay steadfast successful the rights of our nations, we stay steadfast successful supporting those rights and however our First Nations are going to enactment with the Crown," she said.