From Mexico to China, global examples of areas where laws are lifted in the name of economic development have seen people and the environment suffer — but the Ford government is still pressing ahead with Bill 5.
With Ontario’s contentious Bill 5 enacted, special economic zones could be coming to Canada for the first time. Touted by Premier Doug Ford as a sure-fire way to “unleash” the economy, the bill has sparked growing public resistance over its implications for Indigenous Rights, the environment, labour standards and democratic accountability. The global track record of special economic zones suggests these fears are well-founded.
First introduced at Shannon Airport in the Republic of Ireland in 1959 and now found in roughly 120 countries, special economic zones are designated areas where developers receive incentives like tax breaks, reduced regulation or legal exemptions.
Read more at: Ontario is heading down a dangerous road with special economic zones – The Narwhal, October 22, 2025
Photo: Mélina Guêné-Nanchen (distributed via imaggeo.egu.eu) (CC BY 3.0)