François Legault

MONTREAL — 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. 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. …The AFNQL has said the province must try to create a new bill from scratch.