Bill 5, "Protect Ontario by…

Bill 5, "Protect Ontario by Unleashing Our Economy Act", is in no way balanced between environmental protection and economic development, and is thus disheartening and alarming. It swings the pendulum too far in favour of rapid development that can ignore species at risk, their protection and recovery. Removal or addition of species to the list should not be on a political whim, but should be evidence-based and scientific/biological research based. The proposed narrow redefinition of habitat is also non-scientific and not expert-based, again allowing for easy and more rapid development of broad swaths of lands. The Endangered Species Act is so watered down as to be meaningless and the proposed new Species Conservation Act has little substance or teeth. Bill 5 might be protecting some aspects on Ontario, but clearly not the environment nor endangered species.