I oppose the proposed…

I oppose the proposed changes to Ontario’s Endangered Species Act (ESA), which prioritize short-term economic development at the expense of biodiversity, scientific integrity, and long-term environmental health. The amendments weaken core protections for endangered species by allowing greater ministerial discretion, delaying automatic habitat protection, and creating mechanisms—such as the “pay-to-slay” system—that enable developers to destroy critical habitats in exchange for financial contributions.

These changes fundamentally undermine the purpose of the ESA, which is to prevent extinction and promote the recovery of species at risk. By allowing economic considerations to override science-based decision-making, the government is compromising the survival of Ontario’s most vulnerable wildlife. Delaying protection measures and allowing harmful development in critical habitats will have irreversible ecological consequences.

Furthermore, the erosion of independent scientific oversight—such as weakening the role of the Committee on the Status of Species at Risk in Ontario (COSSARO)—raises serious concerns about transparency and accountability. Conservation cannot be guided by politics and profit alone.

Ontario has a legal and moral responsibility to safeguard its natural heritage for future generations. These proposed changes fail to meet that responsibility and should be rescinded in favor of strengthening, not weakening, environmental protections.