The Land Conservancy for…

The Land Conservancy for Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington Counties has been actively pursuing its mission to preserve and protect natural sites and landscapes in the Kingston region for over 20 years. This region includes unique ecological features and wildlife, and it is a part of the UNESCO inscribed Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve. The preservation of species at risk and their habitats is a key goal in the selection of Conservancy properties. The protections provided by Ontario’s Endangered Species Act (“ESA”) have been integral to maintaining biodiversity on these properties, and in the Kingston region.

The government’s proposal to repeal the Endangered Species Act through Bill 5 and replace it with a much-weakened Species Conservation Act is a matter of significant concern to the Conservancy and its members. Special Economic Zones should not allow development in the province without any concern for endangered species and habitat destruction.

As just one example of the problems with the proposed, amended legislation, our review indicates that it minimizes habitat protection to the point where it will, at best, be inconsequential. Plants and animals depend on the ecosystems that sustain them. Protecting only the “critical root zone” or “dwelling-place” of a plant or animal can never ensure the continuity of these species on Ontario landscapes.

The effects of Bill 5 on endangered species and their habitats will clearly be negative at a time when Canada and Ontario are struggling to meet national and international biodiversity targets. Changes to Bill 5 to continue effective protection for endangered species are needed.