Deep Concerns About the …

Deep Concerns About the “Protecting Ontario by Unleashing Our Economy Act, 2025” and the Future of Public Participation in Environmental Oversight

I may not live in the GTA where Ontario Place is located, but I am a lifelong Ontario resident and a proud Canadian citizen—and I care deeply about the future of our province and the integrity of our democracy.

I am writing today to express my serious concerns about the “Protecting Ontario by Unleashing Our Economy Act, 2025”, which was posted to the Environmental Registry of Ontario on April 17, 2025, along with several other deeply troubling proposals.

This particular piece of legislation would exempt Ontario Place redevelopment projects from Part II of the Environmental Bill of Rights, 1993. That means proposals for provincial permits and approvals related to the Ontario Place project would no longer be subject to public notice or public comment requirements through the Environmental Registry.

Let me be clear:
This is not just about a single development project.
This is about transparency, public participation, and the fundamental right of Ontarians to have a say in what happens to their land, water, and environment.

Why should any government—regardless of political affiliation—have the ability to sidestep public consultation and environmental oversight for a major redevelopment project?

And if this exemption is allowed for Ontario Place, what other projects might the government attempt to push through without public awareness or accountability?

It’s impossible not to ask:

Are we still living in a democracy where public input matters?
Or are we setting a precedent where transparency is sacrificed in the name of economic expediency?
These actions raise alarm bells not only for people living in the GTA, but for every resident of Ontario. If our provincial government can pick and choose when the rules apply, it weakens the very principles that uphold our society.

I understand the need for economic development. But it must be balanced with environmental protection, public transparency, and the democratic rights of Ontarians.

As someone who doesn’t even live near Ontario Place, I still feel the weight of this decision. Because if this goes through, it opens the door to a dangerous precedent—where future projects across Ontario could be exempted from scrutiny just as easily.

I urge you: Do not support this exemption. Uphold the Environmental Bill of Rights. Protect our democratic processes. And most importantly, listen to the people you were elected to serve.

Respectfully,
A concerned Ontario resident and Canadian citizen