10th Year Review of Ontario…

The recently proposed updates to Ontario’s Endangered Species Act need to be reanalyzed for numerous reasons, some of which I will address below. Area Of Focus 2 – Listing process and protections for species at risk, proposes changes that would be detrimental to numerous species and is a terrible example of the morals and goals exemplified by Canada – a leader in the green movement. The review mentions an alternative approach to automatic species and habitat protections, however, this would simply allow companies a grace period to complete the impending damage before the protections were to come into place. At that point, the damage caused to the environment would already be done and the protections would be less effective and would need to be directed more towards restoration than protection or maintenance. Removing automatic protections when a species is added to the registry would put all species at risk – even those not yet deemed at risk. The article had also mentioned the difficulties reading and understanding the protections currently in place, and issues regarding a supposed lack of public notice before a new species is automatically listed on the Species at Risk Ontario Registry. The system currently in place for notification and information organization is thorough. It is my professional opinion that companies could benefit from an environmental translator to better understand the policies currently in place and what that means for potential projects that could affect newly or previously inhabited/protected areas. It is a requirement, in Canada’s own literature – that we must use the precautionary principle where there may be potential for damage to public or environment (Morris, 2019). We must prevent the damage before it occurs. Removing automatic protections for species at risk mean that we are opening a pocket for destruction and pollution of environments leaving them beyond repair before restrictions come into place. We have the knowledge, and technology. Removing automatic protections would imply that business takes president over the environmental views that We - as a country supposedly exemplify. We are responsible to conserve the species and their environments. It is our responsibility. Do not be the reason that more animals become at risk, endangered, or go extinct.