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Labour unions, Indigenous rights groups and environmental organizations gathered in demonstrations across the country on Nov. 12, calling on federal MPs to reject the proposed legislation titled Bill C-39.
Bill C-39, also known as the Build Canada Strong Act, is an omnibus bill introduced to Parliament on Sept. 21, 2026, by the Minister of Transport, Steven MacKinnon. Still being debated by the House of Commons, the bill would amend 18 statutes and four regulations that they say aim to accelerate major project approvals, modernize supply chains and update federal labour laws. People across Canada joined forces to protest what they see as the bill’s far-reaching implications for the environment, public health, workers’ rights and Indigenous rights.
Demonstrators gather outside MP Julie Dabrusin’s constituency office in Toronto to protest Bill C-39 on Nov. 2026 (OTR/Sofie Gelder)
A demonstrator holds a sign reading “Stop C-39: Defend Indigenous Rights & Title” (OTR/Sofie Gelder)
Eve Saint, co-founder of Indigenous-led coalition, 8th Fire Rising, delivers a speech to a crowd (OTR/Sofie Gelder)
Nigel Barriffe, the president of the Elementary Teachers of Toronto (ETT) labour union, reads from his notebook as he speaks to the crowd (OTR/Sofie Gelder)
A demonstrator wearing a “Stop Highway 413” shirt at the protest (OTR/Sofie Gelder).
Eve Saint stands with Mskwaasin Agnew, a Toronto-based Cree and Dene community organizer and author at TMU’s Yellowhead Institute (OTR/Sofie Gelder)
Demonstrators hold sections of a sign reading “Seniors for Climate,” a non-profit organization (OTR/Sofie Gelder)
The battering of a cowbell can be heard amidst the cheering (OTR/Sofie Gelder).
Johanna Lewis, a senior organizer for 350 Canada, stands in the crowd with bright pink hair. They hold a sign that reads, “Protect our planet” (OTR/Sofie Gelder).
Standing atop a tree pit, a demonstrator holds a sign reading “Don’t bulldoze our planet” (OTR/Sofie Gelder).
Indigenous activist Michael Cheena stands among the crowd in a green Toronto St. Pats varsity jacket (OTR/Sofie Gelder)
A couple from Seniors for Climate Action Now (SCAN)—a national advocacy group focused on climate education for older adults—wears matching pins and carries a tote bag (OTR/Sofie Gelder)
Eve Saint delivers a speech in front of demonstrators exhibiting an array of signs opposing Bill C-39 (OTR/Sofie Gelder)
Reporter, OTR, F2026.
