I was born and raised in…

I was born and raised in Northwestern Ontario. That is where I learned to have a deep respect for our wildlife and our environment. I have lived in paper mill towns and mining towns. It is essential that the protections for our wildlife, land, wetlands, lakes and rivers, be maintained and/or strengthened, NOT weakened or watered down. Prioritizing protecting habitats for wildlife leads to cleaner, healthy environments for Ontarians as well.
Doug Ford’s PC government is seeking to amend then repeal the Endangered Species Act, 2007 and to replace it with the Species Conservation Act, 2025. Our Endangered Species Act is a critical piece of legislation in the ongoing process of safeguarding endangered species and their habitats in our province. It ensures that extensive scientific research informs decision-making that affects wildlife, habitats and Ontarians. The proposed Species Conservation Act, 2025 is a far inferior piece of legislation. As the Canadian Environmental Law Association has said, “(it) would significantly weaken the government’s capacity to safeguard species that are endangered, threatened or of special concern. It would: … Narrow the definition of an endangered species’ “habitat,” to dwellings and its immediate surroundings, excluding areas critical to full life cycle needs. Empower (the) cabinet to ignore – without criteria – science-based proposals to list a species at risk under the Act. Non-listed species will receive no protection under the Act. Abolish obligations for the government to create recovery strategies and report on species recovery efforts.” These are appalling modifications to the Endangered Species Act, 2007.
The following excerpts (in quotations) are from the webpage: https://ero.ontario.ca/notice/025-0380
“Under the current Endangered Species Act, 2007 (ESA) program, the process to obtain a permit is slow and complex, causing unnecessary delays and costs for housing, transit, and critical infrastructure. To help speed up project timelines and provide greater certainty for proponents, while protecting species, the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks is proposing a number of changes to its approach to project approvals.”
“Under the proposed new approach, instead of waiting for the ministry to approve permits, most proponents will be able to begin an activity immediately after registering.”
From the quotes above, Doug Ford’s government wants to “speed up project timelines and provide greater certainty for proponents” of development projects in Ontario. The government’s duty should be to prioritize the protection of Ontarians and our environment along with having reasonable timelines for development applications. The government’s goal should not be to increase proponent’s success in moving forward with their projects by allowing them to “begin an activity immediately after registering” for a permit before their project has been thoroughly vetted. Stopping or modifying a project after it has started is far more difficult and costly than making modifications to a project before it starts.
This is a highly flawed proposed piece of legislation and should be withdrawn immediately.