I am writing to address the…

I am writing to address the potential changes to Ontario’s Endangered Species Act. As a citizen of this province I am gravely concerned with the proposed changes to the ESA, an act which by its nature is designed to protect one of our greatest resources, our ecosystem and our biodiversity. Our natural systems, including endangered species, are an interwoven web that sustains life in Ontario, including the lives of the people that live here. Allowing for the encroachment on endangered species and their habitat does a great disservice to the people of Ontario and their children who will inherit a landscape altered by the choices being made today.

The notion that the loosening of environmental regulations will favor business and boost the economy is a short-sighted fallacy. History is replete with examples of environmental regulations being sacrificed for economic gain, only to result in severe, long-term environmental issues that will affect citizens for generations.

As written, the current ESA is a scientifically sound tool for classifying the species in our province that are at the greatest risk of extinction. The proposal to shift away from a scientifically based approach to endangered species classification and protection sets a dangerous precedent going forward in Ontario. Our environment is one of the greatest resources in our province, not for what we can take from it, but how we can live with it. Our Ontario wilderness and biodiversity is a source of pride for many citizens of the province, and nature itself provides its own direct revenue (in the form of tourism, be it skiing in Blue Mountain, or camping in Algonquin Park) and indirect revenue. It is this indirect revenue that needs the most protection. Preserving habitat not only preserves the homes of species at risk, but also protects the pollinators that keep our farms and orchards in production, the birds and bats that control pest populations, the plants that purify our air and water, the wetlands that store carbon and prevent flooding, and the spaces that people use for hiking, boating, fishing, hunting and camping.

The changes proposed to the ESA are signalling that the government is willing to sacrifice the future of our province, and Ontario’s greatest asset, in order to push forward an agenda that serves to enhance the lives of a few at the expense of the many. Responsible thinking should, instead, push a policy that supports environmental protection and fosters job growth in the environmental sector. Responsible government is one that accepts the necessity or protecting the environment and adapts an environmental that works with industry and business to move forward in a sustainable direction that allows growth without sacrificing the very thing that makes our province special.
Keep science in policy.

Actually implement and enforce policy, don’t give industry a free pass at the expense of nature.

Hold industry and business accountable for the impact they have on the environment.

Don’t ignore climate change.

The decisions you make today will have a lasting impact on the children of tomorrow. The environmental well being of our province is of growing important to the people of Ontario. Listen to the people! Protect the environment that we all love and cherish.