I am strongly opposed to the…

I am strongly opposed to the weakening of ecological protection and environmental assessment legislation in Ontario. Particularly concerning features of this proposal are as follows:

- allowing unspecified ministers and/or ministry employees to decide on the species requiring legal protection, rather than a board of scientists
-not acknowledging the rights of Indigenous peoples in giving free, prior, and informed consent for projects, and watering down rules that guarantee Indigenous peoples' rights
-lack of clarity on the rules surrounding the creation of "special economic zones": there are no maximum size limits, timing considerations, economic thresholds to meet. Granting governments the ability to exempt basically any area from pre-existing ecological protection and environmental assessment rules is foolhardy.

Weakening environmental regulations to pave the way for rapid development without proper assessment is an act that will harm all Ontarians. We have a natural resource-based economy in Canada that is reliant on stable ecosystems. Our health is reliant on having access to clean water, air, and soil, which could be put at risk with poorly planned development in ecologically sensitive areas. Also, the very infrastructure this bill is trying to further develop is placed at risk when there is ecological degradation. Toronto's floods in the summer of 2024 can be attributed partially to lack of healthy wetlands and watersheds in the area. The total cost of the floods is unknown but is in the billions. Weakening environmental assessment regulations in Ontario truly comes at the detriment of all Ontarians.