I strongly object to these…

I strongly object to these proposed changes and I am horrified by Bill 5.

Bill 5 doesn’t just threaten the species already listed as endangered; it risks accelerating the decline of many others that are already at-risk or under pressure, pushing them toward endangered status if protections are weakened or removed. There are currently 271 species protected under Ontario’s Endangered Species Act, which will have one less layer of protection if Bill 5 passes. Forty-four of them are birds, and I had observed birds on this list at my local park, Ontario Place, before it was bulldozed in the night.

This regressive and harmful bill will speed up the destruction of critical habitat for endangered species, removes basic environmental rights, including rights to be informed and have a say, and fails to respect Indigenous peoples' rights, including those recognised in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).

Already, Bill 5 reflects Ontario’s unrestrained and unabashed endorsement of private interests, namely mining proponents and projects, at the cost of any legal requirement to consider the interests of the public, communities, nature and health.  If passed, Bill 5 will undoubtedly erode public confidence in transparent and accountable government decision-making and cause irreparable harm to environmental and human rights.

Too often, economic gain is pitted against environmental protection. I urge the provincial government to stop this proposal.