I am deeply troubled by the…

I am deeply troubled by the proposed Species Conservation Act, and its failure to effectively conserve Ontario's irreplaceable biodiversity. Currently a staggering 106 species at risk are facing the possibility of losing all protections. This is deplorable. Ontario's biodiversity is its greatest strength, with famed outdoor destinations such as the Bruce trail, Algonquin park, and incredible landscapes from tundra to southern wetlands. Ontarios biodiversity is deeply important to Ontarians, and very literally supports our own lives. By failing to protect species at risk, we are ensuring their extirpation within the Provence and beyond, this act is a completely inadequate replacement for the Endangered Species Act, 2007. It will be a death blow to Ontario's ecology, and to Ontarians as a result.

I am calling on the government to do a deep and immediate reevaluation of this act. I am demanding the government retain robust protections for all species at risk, including the 106 currently scheduled to lose protections. I am also calling on the government to immediately reinstate strong habitat protections for all species at risk that take into account the indisputable reality that a habitat includes the entire area in which an organism lives, travels, hunts, or otherwise exists.

Ontario was an internationally recognized leader in environmental protection, and is now ensuring a future of irreparable ecological destruction. It is not an exaggeration to say that we will see expatriation from this, and we will see them on a timeline faster than any of us imagine.