Ontario Place is a major…

Ontario Place is a major tourist attraction of provincial importance. By making exceptions to the Environmental Bill of Rights the Government of Ontario will be removing democratic options from Ontarians. The comments on the Environmental Registry help inform decision makers. Comments can be used to make improvements to a plan. The public may spot something which civil servants or the government failed to consider. Comments on the Environmental Registry when addressed may save companies and governments time and resources. If there are no comments allowed on the environmental registry for a major project then there could be an increase risk of legal challenges, protests, delays or increased environmental harm which could be avoided. In addition, this notice lacks details such as no link to the Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, 2025 or Part II of the Environmental Bill of Rights, 1993 which are significant to this proposal. The section of the bill which causes an exception is not referred to in the notice. There is also Federal requirements to consult with Indigenous Peoples. Consultation will be more difficult to make if comments are not allowed on the environmental registry. In 2018 from the article "Court quashes Trudeau’s approval of Trans Mountain pipeline" in the National Observer Justice Eleanor said "Canada was obliged to do more than passively hear and receive the real concerns of the Indigenous applicants," What this means is that there needs to be meaningful engagement. The Environmental Registry is a tool that can aid meaningful engagement as the Government is required to consider each comment on the Environmental registry. Expanding exemptions to the environmental registry to offsite sites is too broad and is problematic due to potential negative environmental harm. In addition it is not just environmental impacts that people comment on, some people may raise related economic or social concerns. Thank you for your time.