Endangered species are at…

Endangered species are at risk because of habitat loss. There is no way to replicate habitats, nor any way to replace species at risk once their habitat has been destroyed. The loss is permanent. Many species are already at risk due to climate change; this proposed change to the Endangered Species Act now appears to be the death sentence for many species in Ontario.

Housing can be built anywhere. There are many, many empty lots in urban areas that can be used to build housing, where no habitat is at risk of being destroyed. All that is required is a change of zoning, which can easily be accomplished alongside city and municipal governments. Why is the current government of Ontario so fixated on the destruction of endangered species' habitats to build housing? Why does Ontario need to lose critical green belt land for development when so much unused urban space exists?

This change makes absolutely no sense. It will not meaningfully reduce the cost of housing, nor increase supply. It will put many species at even greater risk of extinction in Ontario, and is clearly a poorly disguised attempt to enrich certain property developers who have links to Premier Ford. This proposed change should be abolished immediately. Keep Ontario's biodiversity and health intact for future generations to enjoy, and focus the building of more houses, along with vital infrastructure investment, to urban centres where it is most needed - not in the Green Belt.

I do not support this change on any level, and the Government of Ontario should be ashamed that this bill has even made it this far.