MontrealThe Legault government is capitulating to demands to scrap a controversial forestry reform bill that sparked anger and frustration of First Nations chiefs, unions and mayors.First Nations chiefs, unions and mayors among bill’s criticsCBC News · Posted: Sep 25, 2025 9:07 AM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hour agoProtests against Bill 97 took many forms this year, including this one held in front of the National Assembly in July. (Vincent Gosselin/Radio-Canada)Earlier this week, a coalition made up of First Nations chiefs, environmental groups, mayors and unions called on the Legault government to scrap its controversial forestry reform bill.On Thursday, the Legault government capitulated.CBC News has learned the premier will announce later today that his government is abandoning Bill 97, which was tabled in the spring and has faced persistent opposition since.The bill would have divided the province’s forest into three zones: one that prioritizes conservation, one focused on timber production and a third zone for multiple uses.Let’s Go8:20The Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador and forestry stakeholders ask an end to Bill 97François Legault and the CAQ seem poised to push forward with Bill 97; the province’s forestry management reform bill. But opposition, especially among indigenous communities is growing, with leaders calling it “a direct provocation to the members of our community” that “constitutes an act of dispossession of our lands.” We’re speaking with Francis Verreault-Paul, the Chief of the Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador next.The Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador (AFNQL) had panned the proposed system, arguing the bill essentially would have given the forestry industry the right to bypass consultations with First Nations regarding activities on those territories zoned for intensive logging.Earlier this month, Legault shuffled his cabinet, appointing Jean-François Simard as the new minister of natural resources and forests and essentially asking him to re-evaluate bill 97.The AFNQL has said the province must try to create a new bill from scratch while making sure it collaborates with First Nations groups.Legault is expected to announce that the bill is scrapped later today at the annual congress for the Fédération québécoise des municipalités.WATCH | Why Bill 97 drew the ire of forestry advocates:Quebec’s proposed forest management plan sparks tensions with Indigenous communitiesConsultations are underway on Bill 97 at the National Assembly, and there’s lots of anger. The legislation aims to modernize the way forests are managed in Quebec. But the Assembly of First Nations thinks the bond of trust with the natural resources minister is broken, and blockades of forest roads is probably the tip of the iceberg.Written by Antoni Nerestant
Legault government scraps forestry reform bill that drew widespread ire
