Since the provincial…

Since the provincial government has said it themselves, it is clear that the passing of Bill 5 will only serve to deregulate the system set out in the Endangered Species Act that Ontario has used for over a decade to help conserve and recover our native species. Bill 5 will weaken the abilities of our environmental experts to oversee and understand the impacts of development on our native and at-risk species.

Overhauling and rewriting this long-standing act, fast-tracking economic projects, and designating Special Economic Zones exempt from any “Act, regulation or other instrument under an Act” are all, frankly, irresponsible.

Regulations and Acts are established for a reason. Standards and codes exist because ungoverned projects have already led to unforeseen accidents, safety issues, and death. A popular saying is that safety rules are written in blood.

Allowing your government the power to overrule regulations, Acts, and By-laws that have been slowly built by countless experts and hard-learned lessons is hubristic and invites disaster.

Do not deregulate our environment. Do not take the easy road to support our economy. Better knowledge, environmental consciousness, and regulated projects are the slow, difficult, yet most effective way to ensure our actions will not have blowback, costing us so much more in the future than what we can earn quickly today.