I am writing as a…

I am writing as a constituent of University-Rosedale and a concerned Ontarian regarding the alarming changes proposed in Bill 5, The Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, 2025. If passed, this bill would repeal Ontario's Endangered Species Act, 2007, replacing it with a drastically weakened framework for the protection of our province's vulnerable species.
The proposed Species Conservation Act, 2025 would devastate wildlife protection through several concerning changes not limited to:
Narrowing of Protected Habitats: The new definition of a habitat reduces protected areas to only immediate surroundings, ignoring crucial feeding grounds and migration corridors that species depend on for survival– these loopholes expose endangered species to the threat of extinction without directly "killing" them.
Political Control Over Species Protection: The government will gain unprecedented power to decide which endangered species get added or removed from protection lists on the basis of political and economic considerations rather than reality.
Lack of Oversight: Developers can begin harmful activities immediately after self-registration without ministry review or approval. Crucial environmental assessments will be eliminated before damage occurs, with inadequate penalties..