At a time when our southern…

At a time when our southern neighbours are bent on tearing everything down - destroying their land and pillaging it for 'resources', we should be focused on preserving. The conservation and protection of species is complicated for a good reason, because ecosystems are complicated. I want to be governed by a government that cares about protecting our precious natural systems and species and by one that is thoughtful in its development. Instead, this change will allow for wholesale destruction and for corporations/developers to destroy what is so important for short-term profit. Is your government really that short-sighted?

Once an ecosystem is destroyed, it is either impossible to return or a huge undertaking (see the Portlands Don River re-development). Ecosystems play such an integral role in regulating our environment - our water, our crops, the soil. I do not want to live in a province covered in Amazon warehouses and suburban housing developments. I want our province to be a leader in preservation and smart development. Monetary cost or gain is not the only factor in human life and the cost of destroying the land which we share with all other living beings will not just be borne by those beings, but by us as well. Humans are not separate from these systems, as much as the Ford government pretends we are.

I agree that we need to address the crisis at hand in a way that protects and strengthens our economy. But this change to the endangered species act is a transparent way to use the very real crisis we find ourselves in to enrich those who have no care for our province, only for their profits not the people of Ontario. While this seems to be completely in line with how the Ford government operates, it is my hope that this change will be scrapped, keeping our precious land protected for the beings that live there, for myself and fellow citizens of Ontario, and for many generations to come.