Some years ago, I signed up…

Some years ago, I signed up for alerts on the EBR regarding exemption permits that once were correctly defined as permits ‘to harass, maim or kill’ species at risk but then changed to the ridiculous moniker of permits to achieve an ‘overall benefit’ as if directly harming or wiping out species at risk or their habitat will ever be of any benefit.

Since that time, of all the many alerts for hundreds of these permits applied for – estimate to be around 2000, no matter how egregious the scope of harm to species at risk, with perhaps a couple of exceptions, were all approved. In 2013, the threats to species at risk escalated when the government passed a the long list of exemptions for forestry, hydro, mining, wind turbines, and commercial development.

Developers seeking permits where automatic exemptions did not apply have presented ‘mitigation’ strategies which are theoretical at best, and have never been tested or evaluated in the real world. Mitigation strategies are often assembled by so-called ‘consultants’ who are working for their client and not in the best interest of protecting Ontario’s ever-vanishing species at risk. In addition, neither the MECP nor the MNRF have the staff to ensure that so-called ‘mitigation’ measures are actually implemented and that they are successful.

Now, this proposal, if adopted, will allow for ‘ministerial discretion” to decide whether species or habitat protections should even apply thus making it even simpler, as if it could be any simpler, for applicants, especially large scale residential, commercial and industrial developers to undertake harmful activities and then not even have to file any reports. This proposal facilitates the ability of industry and development proponents to wipe out the habitats of endangered plants and animals without consequence. To allow applicants to pay into a ‘conservation fund’ instead of instituting prohibition, demanding following strict protocols be followed and/or implementing proven mitigation measures is incomprehensible especially in an age where the need to protect the environment in order to promote human sustainability has been made paramount world-wide.

If the province loses its species at risk, we lose biodiversity which in complex ways keeps us humans alive. To destroy the environment for the short term financial gain for developers and often-touted ‘instant’ economic benefit, in the long term, will have disastrous consequences. This has happened throughout history where once great civilizations vanished because the inhabitants destroyed the local environment and their vast empires became unsustainable.

Instead of stripping and chipping away at very weak legislation, legislation needs instead, to be amended setting a higher bar through regulation for creating any exemption ensuring any proposal cannot jeopardize the recovery of threatened or endangered species. The government should also repeal the 2013 exemptions for the forestry, energy, mining and commercial development industries.

To date, the Species at Risk list in Ontario (O. Reg 230/08) lists a stunning 115 designated ‘endangered’ species, 56 species as ‘threatened’ and 50 listed as ‘special concern’. .. a total of 221 species. There should be NONE on that list. https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/080230

There are already 16 species listed as being extirpated – this proposal, if adopted instead of decreasing this list, guarantees that list of extirpated species will increase as well as the number of species on the endangered, threatened and special concern list. This is not what Ontario should be known for - the province that managed to wipe out the most species at risk for the promise of unproven short-term economic benefit and in doing so destroyed the quality of life for all of its human inhabitants.