I am deeply disturbed that…

I am deeply disturbed that Bill 23 has passed. The removal of trees in ecologically sensitive areas does not make any sense at all. The government proposes to introduce a policy for the “offsetting” of wetlands, woodlands and other natural features. This means that developers would be allowed to destroy such features if they recreate a wetland or woodland elsewhere or pay a fee. Such approaches have been proven to fail in other jurisdictions where they have been attempted and ignore the fact that wetlands typically occur where they do because of connections to the groundwater regime. Wetlands are in specific places because of the vital role they play- no amount of money or bulldozing will ever replace thousands upon thousands of years of growth! In addition, replacing a 100-year-old woodland with newly planted trees will not replicate the ecological roles of the existing woodland. Newly planted trees will not replicate the ecological roles of the existing woodland! As our climate begins to see extremes, how will this affect this 'new' growth or the existing forests? This seemingly simple question goes unanswered. Our forests and woodlands deserve protection because they protect us from WIND and protect our water systems and so much else.

What is equally disturbing is that the bill would effectively undermine municipalities that currently use - or want to use - Green Development Standards to promote buildings’ emission reduction targets and other green infrastructure goals. More specifically, amendments would remove the statutory authority for many parts of the Toronto Green Building Standard and narrow its application considerably, making it almost impossible for the City of Toronto to meet its building emissions targets. Bill 23 is completely shortsighted and so dangerous for Ontario. This is not planning for the future at all - what kind of legacy is Ontario leaving behind? This is simply an ecological DISASTER.