I am writing to express my…

I am writing to express my strong opposition to Bill 5, which poses a significant threat to species at risk and the ecological integrity of Ontario's natural landscapes. This legislation undermines the effectiveness of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and prioritizes short-term development interests over long-term environmentalresponsibility.

One of the most troubling aspects of Bill 5 is its narrow approach to habitat protection, which may focus only on specific nesting or breeding sites while ignoring the broader ecological context that species need to survive. Effective conservation depends not just on isolated habitat patches, but on maintaining connectivity across the landscape-corridors that allow species to move, find food, adapt to climate change, and maintain healthy genetic diversity. Fragmented habitats, even if nesting sites are protected, will not support viable populations in the long term (Hilty et al., 2020; Ontario MNRF, 2012).

Modern conservation science clearly demonstrates that connectivity is essential for the persistence of species at risk. Without the ability to move through the landscape, species become isolated, populations decline, and extinction risks increase. This is especially critical in the face of climate change, which is forcing many species to shift their ranges to find suitable conditions (Environment and Climate Change Canada, 2020).

By weakening protections and limiting science-based decision-making, Bill 5 threatens to create isolated
ecological "islands" that do not meet the needs of species at risk. This is incompatible with current ecological knowledge and undermines decades of progress in habitat restoration and wildlife protection.

Ontario has a responsibility to uphold strong environmental protections and safeguard biodiversity not only for today, but for future generations. I urge the government to reject Bill 5 and instead commit to a science-based, landscape-level approach to conservation that truly supports species at risk and the ecosystems they depend on. As the former Environment Commissioner of Ontario, Diane Sacks, has published, let’s make Good Choices not Bad Choices.