Please accept the attached…

Please accept the attached full submission as our comment to the government’s request for feedback on a consultation for proposed interim changes to the Endangered Species Act, 2007 and a proposal for the Species Conservation Act, 2025, which is being submitted on behalf of OHBA and its 28 local associations including but not limited to the Building and Land Development Association (BILD), West End Home Builders’ Association (WE HBA), Greater Ottawa Home Builders’ Association (GO HBA), and London Home Builders’ Association (LHBA).

The OHBA continues to support provincial actions which streamline processes, permissions and approvals to facilitate the implementation of policy required to support housing availability and new housing supply in the province. OHBA is supportive of The Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, 2025 and is supportive of fresh approaches that make immediate amendments to the ESA and would later repeal the ESA and enact the new Species Conservation Act, 2025 (SCA). We are supportive of continuing its work with stakeholders to improve our regulatory framework and modernize approaches to species conservation based on best practices in other jurisdictions.

In summary, OHBA’s approach to ESA reform is rooted in a strong commitment to environmental responsibility, paired with a pragmatic recognition of the ESA’s interface with land use planning and housing delivery. Our past and current positions continue to emphasize the need for modernization, coordination, and a rules- based permitting system that maintains high standards of protection while enabling timely and cost- effective development. OHBA supports an approach that increases clarity of requirements, streamlines the process and implements fair and reasonable response times and supports a balanced approach to the environmental, social and economic goals of the province to ensure a prosperous and high quality of life for Ontario citizens.