Enough. There is a reason…

Enough. There is a reason why the current protections are in place: to safeguard our precious environmental resources.

Bill 5 puts short-term industrial and financial gain ahead of long-term ecological and community health.

The very name of Bill 5, the Protect Ontario by Unleashing Our Economy Act, recognizes the shift of priorities within it. This legislation poses a serious threat to Ontario’s natural heritage, democratic processes and Indigenous rights.

Bill 5 proposes to repeal the Endangered Species Act — one of the few tools we have to protect at-risk wildlife and the ecosystems they depend on. Replacing it with vague “goals” and unenforceable measures will lead to the further decline of species already on the brink. This is not modernization. It’s deregulation that wages war against an already fragile series of ecosystems.

Equally alarming is the creation of “special economic zones” that would allow cabinet to approve major development projects without proper environmental assessment, public input or Indigenous consultation. This short cut for Ford’s friends undermines transparency, accountability and Ontario’s duty to uphold Indigenous rights and treaties.

Ontarians have not asked for weaker protections or less say in decisions that affect the province’s land, water and future. Bill 5 would silence community voices, marginalize science and erase decades of hard-won environmental progress.

I urge the Ontario government to withdraw Bill 5 in its entirety and instead work with environmental experts, Indigenous leaders and the public to strengthen — not dismantle — our systems of environmental protection.

Protecting nature is not a barrier to economic growth. It’s the foundation of a healthy, resilient and just society.