Hold Government of Ontario Accountable for Weakening Species at Risk Protections

The people of Ontario have good reason to be deeply alarmed by the Government of Ontario’s intent, once again, to weaken protections for endangered species in the province. The Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) is proposing changes to regulations under the Endangered Species Act, 2007 (ESA) to “streamline” its implementation and speed up development projects. In so doing, the ministry would undermine the core purpose of the legislation – protecting and recovering species at risk.

Species at risk in Ontario need protection now more than ever before. With over 230 threatened and endangered species, Ontario is “losing ...

The people of Ontario have good reason to be deeply alarmed by the Government of Ontario’s intent, once again, to weaken protections for endangered species in the province. The Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) is proposing changes to regulations under the Endangered Species Act, 2007 (ESA) to “streamline” its implementation and speed up development projects. In so doing, the ministry would undermine the core purpose of the legislation – protecting and recovering species at risk.

Species at risk in Ontario need protection now more than ever before. With over 230 threatened and endangered species, Ontario is “losing more biodiversity than we are conserving.”

Yet MECP’s response is to abdicate responsibility and undermine protections for species at risk through the following regulatory changes:

Reducing the amount of habitat protected for the endangered fish, redside dace;
Disregarding the reports of butternut health experts before allowing activities to proceed that will harm this endangered tree species and its habitat;
Subjecting all newly listed at-risk species to the harmful impacts of activities authorized through exemptions; and
Expanding exemptions for early mineral exploration, despite the ministry’s failure to inspect or enforce compliance with current exemptions and the lack of any system to track cumulative impacts.

The proposed amendments are another example of the Government of Ontario’s relentless drive to prioritize development over environmental protection. Redside dace and butternut, for example, are two among many species at risk found along the corridor of the proposed Highway 413, a costly and unnecessary project being pushed by the government.

For more information on proposed ESA amendments, read our blog.

Please join us in urging Minister Andrea Khanjin not to proceed with the proposed regulatory changes which would weaken protections for Ontario’s most vulnerable plants, animals and ecosystems. The deadline for submissions is February 20, 2024.

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Photo: Redside dace (Endangered) © Jon Clayton

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Please join us in urging Minister Andrea Khanjin not to proceed with the proposed regulatory changes which would weaken protections for Ontario’s most vulnerable plants, animals and ecosystems.

5,017 emails sent

The Honourable Andrea Khanjin, Minister of Environment Conservation and Parks
Your local MPP
Public Input Coordinator

Find your local rep

Subject:

Dear Minister Khanjin,

Re. ERO 019-8016 Regulatory changes under the Endangered Species Act

I urge you to immediately forgo the proposed amendments to regulations under the Endangered Species Act, 2007 (ESA).

The proposed changes will undercut critical rules to protect many of Ontario’s most vulnerable plants and animals. Your ministry’s claim that it will “maintain the standards” of the ESA, a law intended to protect and recover species at risk, is simply untrue. All the proposed amendments are intended to speed up or reduce restrictions on activities that harm those species.

Species at risk in Ontario are at a tipping point and the province is “losing more biodiversity than we are conserving,” according to the Ontario Biodiversity Council.

Your ministry should not proceed with the proposed regulatory amendments, and instead should focus on upholding provincial, national, and global commitments to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030.

Thank you for your consideration,

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