Overall, I do not support…

Overall, I do not support the proposed changes to the OWES, and I do not think this is an appropriate step in addressing Ontario's housing crisis. First, I find the removal of detailed descriptions on what should be included in evaluation files, and the process of collecting such information to be problematic. This leaves the OWES open for taking shortcuts or conducting data collection and analysis incorrectly. In my experience as a researcher attempting to streamline the research and evaluation process, particularly in providing details on what data needs to be collected and how it should be collected will always compromise the integrity of the resulting report and findings. I do not see how removing these processes will continue to protect Ontario's wetlands, which is concerning given that it is well known protecting wetlands is essential in order to maintain local ecosystems and environments. On that note, I also find it troubling that most of the information around wetland complexes is being removed, especially considering if it is already known and explained why it is important to consider wetland complexes in evaluations. Again from my experience as a researcher, you cannot simply ignore complex systems, as changing or impacting one small part of a system can have unintended and sometimes catastrophic results in other parts of the system. It is a misstep to remove this from the current OWES and I suggest keeping that and all of the previously laid out data collection and reporting requirements. I understand that sometimes we need to streamline processes, but on the flip side we also need to ensure due diligence is taken and sometimes that requires a longer and more detailed process. As we are navigating a global climate crisis, updating the OWES to remove the details I discussed above appears to be a misstep by the Ontario government and will only lead to much more significant problems in the future. I would rather the government takes steps to address the housing crisis in a way that does not threaten or compromise our environment.

On a more personal note, I hope you take my suggestions seriously, as of late I have not felt my government is representing or considering my needs and the needs of my fellow Ontarians. If this government continues to remove and gut systems like the OWES I honestly don't know if continuing to live here makes sense.