This proposal is absolutely…

This proposal is absolutely ridiculous. Ontario's biodiversity is one of the things that makes it great. All this proposal does is completely remove any oversight or accountability for developers to destroy critical habitat for monetary gain. Without any regulations, developers don't care about what's best for Ontarians or how their actions and projects impact others outside of the dollars and cents they can make. If this proposal passes, they will take an ax to every forest, grassland, and wetland in the province with no regard to Ontario's species. When every last acre in the GTA is covered in concrete, what will be left to do? Where are you going to hike? Ontario's parks will be stripped until they are barren and silent. Bit I suppose in the same vein, cottage country will be spared, for only the rich can have a say in who gets to enjoy what remains of Ontario's nature. Everyone benefits from a rich and wild outdoors, from critical ecosystem services like pollination, water filtration, and carbon sequestration; to the physical and mental health benefits of having close access to nature. Allowing species to become extirpated from the province will monotonize Ontario's biodiversity, and it won't stop at the species that are threatened now. This proposal is nothing more than a bad faith argument to strip Ontario's natural history and resources to the last cent, to the highest bidder. Shame on you.