This seems to me to be a…

This seems to me to be a proposal that, if implemented, will destroy wildlife habitat at Bigwind. It is counter to the Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act

Bigwind Lake Provincial Park is currently a non-operating park that quietly safeguards the habitat of 14
species at risk, protected under the Endangered Species Act, while providing low-impact recreation
opportunities to hike, canoe and fish. Ontario’s own studies admit that there is a shortage of
information on species, so the number of species at risk could be even higher.

Instead, Ontario should be expanding its Park system. It currently has less than 11% protection, lagging
behind many other jurisdictions like Nova Scotia, Alberta, BC, Quebec, NWT, and the Yukon that range
from almost 14% to over 21%. Canada and other world conservation leaders are pledging to reach 30%
protection by 2030 (science actually says the world needs 50% protection). By creating more parks,
Ontario could meet both its nature stewardship responsibilities and provide the access to nature that
people crave, without damaging existing parks. Please do not go ahead with the current proposal to
convert Bigwind Lake Provincial Park to an operating Park. Instead, commit to increasing protection to
30%.

Thank you