As an Ontario resident I am…

As an Ontario resident I am extremely opposed to the removal of the Ontario Endangered Species Act. If passed, this new law will gut protections for over 100 at-risk species, silence the public’s voice, and hand developers a free pass to destroy critical habitat. This isn’t conservation, it’s a calculated rollback of nature’s defense, disguised as reform.

Under the current ESA all decisions are made by an independent body, based on empirical evidence, including Indigenous Traditional Knowledge. The current ESA protects animals on the list from being killed, from harm and harassment, and protects habitat.

The proposed amended ESA is geared towards development and not conservation. With the new ESA Ontario will be able to override the independent decision making body. This is corrupt and dangerous. The habitat currently protected by legislation will be reduced for profit. Harassing endangered species is permitted under this new ESA, and a new registration based permit system will reduce the impact of consultations. Under this new ESA Ontario will no longer be required to create guidance or best practices documents.

According to the government’s own data, released in their document - Protected Species in Ontario List vs. Species at Risk in Ontario List, the number of species receiving legal protection would be slashed from 271 to just 169.

That means:

More than one-third of Ontario’s at-risk species would lose all provincial protection.

Every “Special Concern” species, including the Monarch Butterfly, Snapping Turtle, Wood Thrush, and Eastern Wood-Pewee, would be stripped from the list.

42 aquatic species and many migratory birds would be abandoned to the misinterpretation of federal laws that do not address local threats like habitat destruction or industrial development.

That’s over 100 species, gone from the list. The government is turning its back on the very species that need help the most, removing safeguards before populations have a chance to recover. This is not conservation, it’s capitulation to industrial lobbying.

As climate change increases rapidly and development continues to effect dangerous levels of habitat loss, this is not the time to destroy what fragile ecosystems and protections Ontario has left.