Canada’s greatness and…

Canada’s greatness and beauty stem from its natural resources—especially its rich biodiversity. Removing the Endangered Species Act and protections around Ontario’s ecosystems will have devastating consequences for the province’s culture and environment. The province is home to a unique selection of ecosystems, most of which are under protection by conservation areas or Ontario Park systems. Furthermore, Ontario’s greenbelt supports a large majority of the province's biodiversity and endangered species. Including rare variations of wetland ecosystems and cliff-dwelling species in the Niagara Escarpment, and the headwaters for the majority of Southern Ontario’s freshwater rivers in Oakridge’s Moraine (David Suzuki Foundation, 2011). The development of the green belt will be detrimental to our environment, water quality, and life as a whole.

Ontario’s current development permit and environmental assessment program pushes developers to ensure that their projects do not cause unnecessary harm to the ecosystems surrounding their projects. Removing this system will erode Ontario’s ecological integrity, harming not just endangered species but all living beings in the province. It will also jeopardize hundreds of careers in environmental conservation and education, leaving experts without work and communities without guidance.

This bill does not protect or strengthen our economy, it serves corporate interests, not the people. Why should corporations, rather than citizens, dictate what’s best for Ontario? Ontario’s greenbelt contributes to $9.6 billion of the province's economic activity, 177,700 jobs, and the equivalent of $3.2 billion annually in ecosystem services. How are these environmental services not “Unleashing Our Economy”?

Doug Ford's bill also includes plans for mining operations in the Ring of Fire. For resources to build batteries for electric vehicles, including nickel, copper, and chromite. The land has not yet been developed as it is located on peat wetlands, which are known as carbon sinks, which are large contributors to our fight against climate change. Furthermore, the mine is located on lands that rightfully belong to Indigenous peoples under Treaty Nine. Moving forward with this project disregards their sovereignty and undoes the promises of reconciliation.

Furthermore, assigning decisions on species at risk to a deputy minister, rather than experts with years of education and experience in conservation, will lead to uninformed and potentially harmful choices. This is not about Ontario’s economic gain, it is about political maneuvering that benefits a select few at the cost of thousands of years of natural history and culture. If our elected officials allow this, Ontario’s environment and identity may never recover.

Citations
David Suzuki Foundation. (2011). Biodiversity in Ontario’s Greenbelt.
Greenbelt Foundation. (2023). Annual report 2022-2023. Greenbelt foundation. https://www.greenbelt.ca/2022_2023_annual_report