The Ford Government's…

The Ford Government's proposed Bill 5 that would repeal the Endangered Species Act is shocking, short-term thinking at the cost of future generations and vulnerable species, and is completely unacceptable. Canada and the world are experiencing rapid biodiversity loss, greatly impacting ecological and human health, as well as communities and economies.

Without a healthy planet, we do not have healthy communities. The very infrastructure and development the government proposes to fast track, by stripping away protections for nature, will place Ontario at increased risk for more climate related disasters. Protecting nature and upholding conservation is a significant investment in health, local communities, and is also a long-term economic strategy. Environmental protection IS sound economics and one that will safeguard communities, health, and resources.

Removing oversight for developers and meaningful protections for species and their habitats, eliminating recovery strategies, and allowing decisions to be driven by non-scientists, opens the door for environmental destruction that can never be reversed. One a species is gone, this is forever. The government has a moral and ethical obligation to protect vulnerable species and their habitats.

Any changes to the Endangered Species Act must be to strengthen its scope, not diminish it. I strongly urge the Ford Government to reconsider and instead take this opportunity and moment in history to show Ontario and Canada that we really are not for sale -- to take this opportunity to be a bold and innovative leader and work with communities to find truly sustainable ways to move forward, responsibly addressing critical issues, while safeguarding the natural world upon which we all depend.