May 22, 2025
((xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-
Waututh)/Vancouver, B.C.)) The First Nations Leadership Council (FNLC) and its member
organizations joined with the Union of BC Municipalities today to call on the Province to
withdraw Bill 15 – the Infrastructure Projects Act.
If passed into law, Bill 15 would give greater powers to Cabinet to expedite the approval of
projects it deems to be “provincially significant”. First Nations and local governments have
expressed concern with the lack of consultation prior to the legislation being drafted. First
Nations leaders have also highlighted the Province’s failure to fulfill its constitutional,
legislative, and environmental obligations and commitments, including those under the
Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, the Interim Approach on the
Alignment of Laws, and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
First Nations Chiefs and leadership recently met with Premier Eby to express their
collective opposition to Bill 15 which has the potential to greatly impact First Nations’
inherent and Aboriginal rights, title, and jurisdiction. Local governments also met with
Infrastructure Minister Bowinn Ma and have expressed concern that Bill 15 would provide
Cabinet with extraordinary powers to override local regulations, including local government
Official Community Plans, zoning bylaw amendments and subdivision approval processes.
Bill 15 has passed second reading and moved to Committee last week, slated for
completion of Committee and a third reading in the legislature next week before final vote.
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