First of all and above all,…

First of all and above all, I am very strongly opposed to the rationale of economic development ahead of all other considerations that is evident in Bill 5, and in the changes it makes to several other Acts of Ontario.

The economy and the environment are not separate. There is no economy without a vibrant, diverse environment in which the economy functions. If we prioritize the economy to the detriment of the environment, we will "burn down our own house".

All the water on earth is the same water that has been here for millennia. It is all connected. It flows downstream. It evaporates, travels and falls somewhere else. And flows again.

If we foul the water of northern Ontario with development of the so-called "ring of fire" as proposed by Bill 5, we will foul the water of southern Ontario, of the rest of Canada, of the world.

The same applies to the air we breathe.

The worst effects will, of course, be near the development sites, but we will all suffer from the consequences of development as described in Special Economic Zones -- where any and all regulations and laws can be set aside.

I endorse the points put forward by Legal Advocates for Nature's Defence, on a wide range of aspects of Bill 5, and I urge the government of Ontario to listen to and act on their recommendations.

Narrowing in on the proposed Species Conservation Act, I am appalled by how Bill 5 tragically weakens the protection of species at risk and muzzles the right of the public to have its say.

A particular concern of mine is the definition of "habitat" in the proposed Species Conservation Act 2025.

The narrow definition of habitat, as "a dwelling place, such as a den, nest or other similar place that is occupied by one or more members of a species, for the purposes of breeding, rearing, staging, wintering or hibernating, and the area immediately around a dwelling place," is far too limited to qualify as a sustainable habitat. A primary school child would know it is a ridiculous assertion.

Imagine declaring for a human citizen of Ontario that the house the person lives in and "the area immediately around a dwelling place" is the extent of that person's habitat. What about the area the person goes to for work? for obtaining the necessities of life? for recreation? for community? for relationships with family and friends? All that territory is no longer considered your habitat, the space you depend on for life and being. That is what this Bill is declaring for the other than human beings in Ontario.

Bill 5 should be withdrawn. Broad, meaningful consultations must be undertaken to develop legislation and regulations that take into account long term consequences for all living beings in Ontario.

"Protect Ontario"?

Not with Bill 5. More like, Plunder Ontario.