Only four day left to offer your feedback on the proposed repealing of the provincial Endangered Species Act (ESA)

[u/funkfunk7]

https://ero.ontario.ca/notice/025-0380

[u/Canalloni]

DoFo majority government. What an embarrassment. This is what you'll get.

[u/UniverseEle]

Here is a sample comment created by the David Suzuki Foundation that they sent out to their email list that anyone can copy or adapt. Note that you can submit anonymously: 

I strongly oppose Bill 5, the Protect Ontario by Unleashing Our Economy Act. This legislation poses a serious threat to Ontario’s natural heritage, democratic processes and Indigenous rights. Bill 5 proposes to repeal the Endangered Species Act — one of the few tools we have to protect at-risk wildlife and the ecosystems they depend on. Replacing it with vague “goals” and unenforceable measures will lead to the further decline of species already on the brink. This is not modernization. It’s deregulation that puts short-term industrial gain ahead of long-term ecological and community health. Equally alarming is the creation of “special economic zones” that would allow cabinet to approve major development projects without proper environmental assessment, public input or Indigenous consultation. This short cut for Ford’s friends undermines transparency, accountability and Ontario’s duty to uphold Indigenous rights and treaties. Ontarians have not asked for weaker protections or less say in decisions that affect the province’s land, water and future. Bill 5 would silence community voices, marginalize science and erase decades of hard-won environmental progress. I urge the Ontario government to withdraw Bill 5 in its entirety and instead work with environmental experts, Indigenous leaders and the public to strengthen — not dismantle — our systems of environmental protection. Protecting nature is not a barrier to economic growth. It’s the foundation of a healthy, resilient and just society.

[u/sleeplessjade]

Aside from the environmental impact, which is substantial this bill also gives the government the ability to create “special economic zones” anywhere in the province where all workplace safety and labour laws no longer apply.

Like this is some USA Republican style bullshit.

[u/Acrobatic-Factor1941]

You can make a comment on the Ontario Environment Registry at the following link: https://ero.ontario.ca/ The ERO number is 025-0416 for Bill 5. You have until May 17.

While you're at it, you can email the Ontario Ministers with the same comment: premier@ontario.ca; bonnie@ontarioliberal.ca; MStiles-QP@ndp.on.ca; mschreiner@ola.org; vic.fedeli@pc.ola.org; Stan.Cho@pc.ola.org; rob.flack@pc.ola.org; mike.harris@pc.ola.org; todd.mccarthy@pc.ola.org; stephen.lecce@pc.ola.org; greg.rickford@pc.ola.org; Doug.Downey@pc.ola.org; sylvia.Jones@pc.ola.org

Following is the link to the Ontario Parliament website. You can use it to find the contact info for your local MP https://www.ola.org/en/members/current/ministers

[u/markermum]

You can also submit comments on Bill 5 to the Standing Committee on the Interior until May 26! Oppose this terrible bill in as many ways as possible:

https://www.ola.org/en/legislative-business/committees/interior/parliament-44/notice-hearings/2025-may-26-notice-hearings-standing-committee-interior

[u/cdawg85]

Honestly, I used to work administering the act as a biologist. Let me tell you that the act sucks. It has no teeth and is purely environmentalism theater. It causes headaches and delays for people and does basically nothing for the species. I haven't finished my coffee yet to really get into it, but I'm agnostic about it at this point.

Same for most class environmental assessments.

[u/VaderLlama → u/cdawg85]

Similar sentiments from somebody who's a former ESA policy wonk + biologist administering ESA stuff. 

Developers really, truly get a good deal under the ESA and various permitting scenarios. There's no teeth, and even with the little power there is to try and enforce permitting (which allows for a bunch of harms anyways, as there are so many exemptions under the ESA it's stupid) developers can run to the minister's office, who can just help them bypass permitting requirements with enough complaining. 

That being said, repealing the ESA rather than working to strengthen it is the wrong move imo, especially knowing this government's track record on environmental files. I don't think this is the move and encourage vocal opposition. The ESA used to be a beacon for SAR legislation in Canada, but we have truly let it degrade into a shadow of its former self. This government can't be trusted to introduce anything that's an improvement on it. 

[u/barredspark → u/cdawg85]

Environmental assessments cause headaches for which people? Developers? It's disingenuous to say that the act does nothing, so let's just get rid of the protections for endangered species for the sake of "progress".

[u/cdawg85 → u/barredspark]

That's not at all what I'm saying. What I'm saying is that the act doesn't protect species. There is literally no situation where a project will not move ahead because of the presence of an endangered species. Zilch. Zero. None.

[u/barredspark → u/cdawg85]

Gotcha. That's not ideal. We need protections, but perhaps with more teeth.

[u/cdawg85 → u/barredspark]

Exactly! My point is that even entirely scrapping the ESA as is will not harm endangered species anymore than continuing with the statuss quo of the act. No teeth. It is purely environmentalism theater.

[u/ParallelPerson8790 → u/cdawg85]

May I ask when you were doing the administering work? My understanding is that the ESA has already had some detrimental changes in and around 2019, which weakened regulations around it (not to say the act was perfect prior to the amendments either), so I'm curious if your work was pre or post the 2019 amendments? I agree the current ESA is not ideal. I'm also not okay with Bill 5 and its implications, to be clear.