I am writing to voice my…

I am writing to voice my strong opposition to the sweeping changes proposed in Bill 5, particularly those that dismantle core protections in the Endangered Species Act, 2007. This bill undermines decades of progress in conservation and signals a dangerous shift away from evidence-based environmental stewardship. Allowing developers to proceed through a “registration-first” system without prior review or permitting prioritizes convenience for industry over the survival of Ontario’s most vulnerable species. This hands-off approach guts environmental oversight and all but guarantees that destruction will happen faster than regulators can respond. The redefinition of "habitat" to exclude broader ecosystems is especially reckless. Wildlife does not live in isolated pockets and species depend on complex, interdependent landscapes to survive. Fragmenting these habitats accelerates biodiversity loss, increases the risk of extinction, and destabilizes entire ecosystems. Stripping away mandatory recovery strategies and giving politicians the discretion to decide whether or not to protect a species even when scientists recommend it opens the door to political interference in what should be non-partisan, evidence-driven decisions. This not only weakens public trust, it places threatened species at the mercy of economic agendas. Ontario’s economic growth should not come at the cost of its ecological collapse. Once a species or ecosystem is lost, it cannot be recovered. This bill trades long-term environmental health for short-term profits, undermining the resilience of our forests, wetlands, and watersheds, natural systems that clean our air and water, stabilize our climate, and safeguard human health. I urge the Ontario government to withdraw or substantially revise Bill 5 to ensure that environmental protections are not sacrificed for deregulation. Ontario cannot afford to pave over its future in the name of growth.