These changes are absolutely…

These changes are absolutely appalling and not in line with the values of Canadians. Several surveys and studies have shown that the majority of Ontario and Canadian residents value nature and believe it should be protected. Ontario has historically undergone vast amounts of habitat destruction and the changes to the ESA will only allow that to continue at an even faster pace. Permitting should balance environmental protection, socioeconomics. Adopting federal recovery documents will only allow for faster recovery planning for species at risk and a collaborative approach with the federal government, aiming towards less protection gaps for species at risk in Ontario. Allowing permit applicants to work before the application is reviewed opens the provincial government to legal risk of all kinds, not just environmental. Ontario is covered in wetlands and habitats that sequester carbon, mitigating climate change and offer numerous other benefits. Anyone with any understanding of ecology would know how detrimental these changes could be on Ontario. As a resident of Ontario, I oppose this bill with every fiber of my being and strongly encourage you to strengthen the Endangered Species Act, not weaken it.

These changes blatantly allow for indiscriminate development and line the pockets of developers without any regard for flood prevention, mitigating climate change and maintaining a resilient and healthy environment. Also the provincial government should not be allowed to have decision making power as to which species are listed under the ESA. COSSARO assesses species for a reason.