I have lived in the Kingston…

I have lived in the Kingston region for over 30 years. This region includes unique ecological features and wildlife, and it is a part of the UNESCO inscribed Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve. The preservation of species at risk and their habitats is a value that I believe the government of Ontario should uphold. The protections provided by Ontario’s Endangered Species Act (“ESA”) have been integral to maintaining biodiversity in the Kingston region and across the province.

Your government’s proposal to repeal the Endangered Species Act through Bill 5 and replace it with a much-weakened Species Conservation Act is a matter of significant concern to me. While I agree we need to protect Canadian sovereignty and offset the challenges to our economy resulting from foreign tariffs, but species and habitat protection should not be undervalued while obtaining this goal. Establishing Special Economic Zones may prove to be one means to move forward with redesigning the economy of Ontario it should not be a means to open wide swaths of lands across the province to development without any concerns for endangered species and habitat destruction. It is clearly unnecessary to repeal protections for endangered species across the whole province to make these areas effective.

As just one example of the problems with proposed, amended legislation, a review I read indicates that it minimizes habitat protection to the point where it will, at best, be inconsequential. Plants and animals depend on the ecosystems that sustain them. Protecting only the “critical root zone” or “dwelling-place” of a plant or animal can never ensure the continuity of these species on Ontario landscapes.
The effects of Bill 5 on endangered species and their habitats will clearly be negative at a time when Canada and Ontario are struggling to meet national and international biodiversity targets. Changes to Bill 5 to continue effective protection for species at risk are needed. More time is needed to consult Ontario residents and to adopt a more balanced approach to maintain preservation of habitat and species while looking towards concentrated means to enhance our economy.