The housing crisis is a…

The housing crisis is a challenge in our time; however, disregarding environmental safeguards to dilute the housing market is unsustainable and irresponsible. New homes can be constructed on lands which are not critical for our nation's biodiversity and watershed conservation. Moving an established habitat from one location to another is not a good idea; recreating a landscape forged over millennia is impossible. Those habitats serve niche purposes which can not simply be recreated.

Further, wetlands are considered the most biodiverse habitats on earth. Biodiversity in these landscapes can be directly linked to overall ecosystem health and provide various ecosystem services. This is important in Ontario because we are home to a significant portion of the world's wetlands - and we mustn't destroy natural landscapes if we aim to meet our nation's Biodiversity and conservation goals.