I am against this proposal,…

I am against this proposal, which is a deliberate weakening of protections for Ontario species at risk!

The Ontario government’s decision to repeal the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and replace it with the Species Conservation Act (SCA) will profoundly weaken protections for species at risk. Once the SCA comes into force, its protections will only apply to the new Protected Species in Ontario List — and shockingly, ten endangered bird species will no longer be protected under provincial law.

Important species like the loggerhead shrike, piping plover, red-headed woodpecker, and chimney swift — will be excluded entirely. The government claims these species will be covered by federal law, but in reality, there are no enforcement mechanisms in place to prevent the destruction of their nesting or feeding habitats.

According to the government’s own data, the number of species receiving legal protection would be slashed from 271 to just 169.

That means:

More than one-third of Ontario’s at-risk species would lose all provincial protection.
Every “Special Concern” species — including the Monarch Butterfly, Snapping Turtle, Wood Thrush, and Eastern Wood-Pewee — would be stripped from the list.
42 aquatic species and many migratory birds would be abandoned to the misinterpretation of federal laws that do not address local threats like habitat destruction or industrial development.

That’s over 100 species — gone from the list. The government is turning its back on the very species that need help the most, removing safeguards before populations have a chance to recover. This is not conservation — it’s capitulation to industrial lobbying.

Ontario’s endangered wildlife deserves better.