Without the environment and…

Without the environment and the species that rely on it, Ontario has nothing to develop! The land, water, and air should not be disregarded in the name of business and development.

Scaling back the definition of a 'habitat' makes it so narrow that it protects even less then what species have protected now. This bold move would likely result in the significant decline and extinction of many species. By having a broad definition as it currently is, it allows for an encompassing definition to include a wide range of species, especially for species that have a wide habitat range e.g. during species migration.

The proposed revisions have such a narrow view that really only benefit one group of people; those profiting off of the expedited development process. What about preserving biodiversity? What about Indigenous rights and land sovereignty? The proposed new process would bypass meaningful Indigenous consultation which contravenes constitutional obligations and the principles of reconciliation.

What considerations have been made for future generations? The future of the province? Does the Ontario government only want to be seen as a province that extracts all of its resources for profit? What happens when all the resources are eventually depleted? Where does the money come from then? With these proposed changes, the species once protected now extinct. Their habitats depleted. The lifecycle of a development project such as a mine, pipeline, or housing developments are not even close to great enough to justify the extreme likelihood of an entire generations livelihoods being disregarded in the name of business and development. There will be less natural areas, less species diversity, and decreased air quality; especially with the increased removal of natural habitat such as trees and increased development activity.

By fast tracking development, what measures enforce true quality, safety and sustainability within the development? Faster does not equate to being better. The government would be allowing developers to cut corners by saving time and money. But at what cost? Poor quality homes, roads and other developments. No thank you.

These proposed changes are a message to the people of Ontario that corporations, business and development are more important. The government having broad discretion to refuse to protect species and their habitats is a disheartening and scary reality the people of Ontario do not want to be a part of. These proposed changes are upsetting. I ask that the government of Ontario to take time and reconsider this decision.