Ontario should not eliminate…

Ontario should not eliminate the Endangered Species Act (ESA) because it plays a vital role in protecting the province’s biodiversity and ecological health. The ESA is one of the most effective legal tools for preventing species extinction, requiring science-based assessments and recovery strategies for at-risk plants and animals. Removing or weakening this legislation would leave vulnerable species without the legal protection they need to recover, potentially leading to irreversible environmental damage. Moreover, healthy ecosystems support Ontario’s economy, particularly through agriculture, forestry, and tourism, all of which depend on biodiversity. Rather than scrapping the ESA, the province should focus on improving its implementation and enforcement to balance development with conservation.