I am strongly opposed to…

I am strongly opposed to these changes to the Endangered Species Act. The changes specified here will functionally remove the need to consider endangered species at all--if all that needs to be done is 'registration', there will be absolutely no oversight, and since construction can begin immediately, it will be too late to save species and their critical habitat even if the ministry decides to intervene.

Removing red tape is a laudable goal, but these changes go way too far. The goal of these changes appears to be to completely remove the functionality of the Endangered Species Act to restrain development that will be damaging to endangered species. For the Act to be functional, the term 'harass' is necessary because otherwise all critical habitat can be removed without technically harming or killing individuals of an endangered species. However, if there is no habitat, all of those individuals will subsequently die. Disturbingly, these proposed changes mirror recent attempts to change the Endangered Species Act in the United States--given recent tensions between our countries, it is extremely concerning that Ontario's government appears to be coordinating with elements in the U.S.

These changes will cause immense damage to our natural spaces, natural heritage, and damage range-edge endangered species populations that will be critically important under climate change stresses. These changes privilege short term development and profit over the long-term health and welfare of our province, and are extremely short-sighted. Ontario's natural landscapes bring in millions of dollars a year in tourism dollars--e.g., Algonquin Provincial Park, Point Pelee National Park, which draw in tens of thousands of visitors annually, as well as numerous other areas of Ontario that are popular with hikers, anglers, and hunters. Mining, resource extraction, and development offer only short-term profit. Ecotourism is a much more sustainable and is more profitable in the long-term, and also does not require expensive restoration efforts (needed to clean-up after mining/resource extraction efforts are complete).

As someone who values Ontario's incredible natural landscapes and endangered species, I hope these changes are reconsidered. While obtaining permits can be an annoying process, it is important to take decisions that cause permanent changes to our province slowly to ensure damage to our environment is minimized. Moving quickly risks not only the welfare of endangered species, but also human health and welfare.