I am writing to voice my…

I am writing to voice my very strong objection to the proposed exemptions from the Environmental Bill of Rights that will remove the right of Ontarians to be advised of, or to comment on, any required permits at Ontario Place, on or off site, to support the project.

The Environmental Bill of Rights exists to ensure that Ontario's environment in all its forms is protected for future generations. Doug Ford's Bill 5 uses economic fear as an excuse to gut those protections, ignore Indigenous rights and the rights of future generations, and shut the door on clean energy. It would also create rules-free zones for developers.

As this applies to Ontario Place, thousands of Ontarians have spoken out about their concerns related to protection of this fragile waterfront ecosystem. They have provided well-informed, intelligent commentary along with realistic and reasonable alternatives to the government's current plans. This move not only deprives citizens of their rights but the government of valuable community knowledge.

The proposal is not in the public interest, to say the least. It compromises the future of this critical waterfront site and serves only to benefit the private interests of foreign companies. It represents yet another compromise in environmental protection, and citizen's rights to be informed, at a time when Ontario along with the rest of the planet is facing a climate and biodiversity crisis."