I am deeply concerned about…

I am deeply concerned about the impacts cancelling cap and trade will have on the agriculture, forestry and fishery sectors and the people who rely on them for their livelihoods. Canada's resource sectors are the backbone of our country's economy and thereby the financial health and stability of our nation.

Climate change is having a profound impact on our environment and communities. Those most affected by the impacts of climate change are the ones who rely on the health of our air, land and water in order to support themselves and their families.

Climate change has, as we have been seeing, profound impacts on our weather patterns and aquatic systems.

As of October 14, 2018, forest fires have already nearly doubled the 10-year average. Today, we have seen 1313 fires in Ontario already with the 10-year average sitting at 723 according to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry.

These fires have profound effects on our economy, the health of our people, and the communities and houses people live in.

A similar story is taking place in agriculture, as a farmer myself, we have been seeing vastly different weather patterns as we have seen in the past. We have periods of drought followed by periods of intense rainstorms. The days of the nice, necessary day-long summer rains no longer exist. This provides many issues for growing our food and maintaining a system of food security. We are seeing more impacts due to climate chage as listed by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (2018):

-increased heat stress on livestock
-increased pest volumes and number of pest species
-modified geographical extent of agricultural production and locational shifts for growth of certain crops
-potential limitations on food processing expansions due to water quality and quantity issues
-financial challenges for rural municipalities exposed to extreme weather events and needing large infrastructure enhancements -to cope with such events (bridges, roads, etc.)

Cancelling the cap and trade program has been self-justifying by stating a savings of 240$ per year for every Canadian. I am certain that these funds make a difference in the lives of some Ontarians. However, let us remain highly aware that people that rely on our largest industries will likely see financial losses at magnitudes greater than 240$/year due to the layoffs, crop failures and forest fire remediation that will be caused by climate change.

Let us not undervalue the ecosystems and ecosystem services we rely on daily, in favour of a quick cash break.