The claim that “the current…

The claim that “the current approach to the protection and conservation of species at risk is complicated, takes too long to complete, and causes unnecessary delays and costs for housing, transit, and critical infrastructure” is an uninformed and anthropocentric argument with no basis. As of 2021, 6.9% of dwellings in Ontario were unoccupied. One in five residential properties in Ontario is used as an investment property, not primary residence (Stats Can 2020), straining long-term rental markets. While there is no doubt a housing crisis across Canada, availability of housing is not the issue and this proposed change does nothing to address the actual causes. Unless the plan is to reduce the cost of current housing, build affordable or community housing, implement rent control policies, ownership limitations, or other forms of equitable housing policies, new housing will only exacerbate existing issues. None of these issues were included in the proposed plan changes for “housing”.

The transit plans for the current Ford government have made little mention on detailed or confirmed public transit expansion, and instead focused on flagship highway projects costing taxpayers ~$70 billion collectively. Ontario needs cities more connected through public transit and communities more connected through bike and walk friendly infrastructure and policies. Increased public transportation and bike friendly infrastructure will ease gridlock by removing cars from existing highways. Additionally, if we want to mitigate the impacts of climate change, we need a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through climate friendly transportation, as one measure. Help us spend less time behind the wheel and less money on gas by building climate friendly transportation infrastructure. Bulldozing species at risk and their habitat for misaligned projects that will worsen climate change, damage our communities, destroy biodiversity, and make us poorer is not the solution Ontario needs. Public transit is important, but not at the expense of species at risk and their habitat. The destruction of species at risk habitat will have irreversible consequences on the species and the environment. They will never be able to recover and we will lose them forever. We need improved transit and bike infrastructure but with the proper mitigations, protections, and recovery strategies for species at risk.

We benefit from nature. We rely on ecosystems for clean water, air, for decomposition, for food, recreation and for our mental health. Time in nature has been linked to lower stress levels, improved sleep, well-being, and a reduced risk of psychiatric disorders. All species have an intrinsic right to exist and flourish, but in this case it is important to recognise that ecosystems power the entire planet, including humans. We live in relation to ecosystems, no matter how much we try to remove ourselves from it in our built up urbanised cities. Nature is bound to us as we are to it. When we allow the destruction of nature, we fail in our moral duty to the whole living world. Protecting nature protects ourselves. In the same vein, destroying nature destroys ourselves.

We have routinely failed nature through introducing invasive species, exploiting resources, polluting air, water, and lands, draining wetlands, clearing forests, and fuelling climate change. We have a moral obligation to repair this damage. Purposely overlooking the existence and requirements of species at risk, species who we have imperilled through our own rampant destruction and consumption, under the guise of urgency, is an embarrassing failure to biodiversity and ourselves.