I am writing to express my…

I am writing to express my unequivocal opposition to Bill 5 and the dangerous changes it proposes to Ontario’s Endangered Species Act. This legislation paves the way for widespread destruction of critical habitats that countless vulnerable species depend on for survival. In the middle of a biodiversity crisis, when Ontario should be strengthening protections for wildlife and ecosystems, Bill 5 does the exact opposite—it weakens one of our most essential environmental laws in favor of reckless industrial expansion.

Bill 5 would allow developments in newly proposed “special economic zones” to bypass key provisions of the Endangered Species Act, including the protection of critical habitat. This is not just bad policy—it is catastrophic. Species at risk in Ontario, such as the Blanding’s Turtle, the Eastern Wolf, and the Monarch Butterfly, rely on intact and legally protected habitats to breed, feed, migrate, and survive. When those areas are bulldozed, fragmented, or polluted to make way for economic zones, the result is simple: extinction.

Groups like EcoJustice, Ontario Nature, and the Canadian Environmental Law Association have made it abundantly clear—Bill 5 is not only shortsighted, it is scientifically indefensible. We cannot claim to value the environment or future generations while actively gutting the laws that protect the province’s most vulnerable species. Allowing developers to operate with near-total immunity from ecological responsibility is the stupidest possible decision Ontario could make in the global fight against biodiversity loss and climate breakdown.

This legislation also makes a mockery of public input, scientific expertise, and Indigenous knowledge—all of which have emphasized the critical role of habitat conservation. The prioritization of fast-tracked development over ecological survival is morally and environmentally bankrupt. I call on the Ontario government to immediately withdraw Bill 5 and instead invest in real, sustainable economic strategies that work with nature, not against it.