As an Ontarian, I'm deeply…

As an Ontarian, I'm deeply concerned about Bill 5, The Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, 2025. This bill would repeal the Endangered Species Act, 2007, and replace it with a far weaker system under the proposed Species Conservation Act, 2025. If passed, it would significantly undermine protections for vulnerable wildlife in our province.

Key issues include:

Shrinking habitat protections: The new definition of “habitat” ignores vital areas like feeding grounds and migration routes, leaving species exposed to extinction even if they aren't directly harmed.

Politicized species lists: Decisions about which species receive protection could now be driven by political or economic interests, not science.

No environmental oversight: Developers could proceed with destructive projects without reviews or environmental assessments, increasing risks to ecosystems with little accountability.

We’re facing a housing affordability crisis, but there are proven solutions that don't involve sacrificing our biodiversity—such as investing in transit-oriented development, curbing speculation, and retrofitting existing communities.

Ontario’s wildlife deserves better. Destroying habitats for short-term gain isn’t just negligent, it’s reckless. We need to protect what makes this province special—not hand it over to unchecked development. I urge our leaders to vote against Bill 5 and uphold strong protections for species and habitats.