I am very concerned about…

I am very concerned about the proposed changes to the Endangered Species Act, 2007.

First, the new voluntary species conservation program. Voluntary initiatives do not work in cases where extra work or cost is involved.  This simply puts the burden to community groups to scramble to clean up the mess left by developers and other proponents who will destroy the environment, instead of preventing that destruction in the first place. This is where rules and enforcement need to be in place and this should be the job of the government.  Industry may voluntarily adopt superficial conservation programs as a way to demonstrate their good corporate citizenship, however these measures will certainly not be sufficient to protect endangered species or other aspects of the environment.  These programs should remain mandatory.  

Second, the government’s discretion to remove certain species from the list. This is very concerning, as the government would have the ability to remove species without consultation or public transparency. There is no reason why the government would need this discretion and would likely corrupt endangered species protections by allowing proponents to cherry pick areas they want developed. This is not the purpose of environmental protection legislation. If an area is protected, it should remain protected and not tampered with.

Third, the SCA 2025 would allow acts that are harmful to protected species to proceed if a proponent committing that act has registered or obtained a permit. This means that, instead of waiting for approvals or permits, proponents could simply proceed with their harmful activities. By the time a permit has been approved, there will already be irreversible environmental damage.

Finally, this new proposed legislation is undemocratic. It will reward developers and other proponents who simply want to make a profit at the expense of Ontario’s beautiful land and public heath. These are extreme powers, which should be reserved only for the most dire emergency situations. Despite the possible gravity of the trade war, this is still not enough of an emergency to warrant this type of legislation. Ontario can be more imaginative in its economic development instead of dismantling environmental protections.