An environmental group has raised concerns that the implementation of Ontario’s Bill 5 could jeopardize the survival of polar bears in the province. The Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act eliminates the existing Endangered Species Act in Ontario and introduces the new Species Conservation Act.
Shane Moffat, who serves as the conservation campaigns and advocacy manager at Ontario Nature, has voiced criticism against the new law, stating that it offers weaker safeguards for endangered species like polar bears. Previously, the province was mandated to create recovery plans for at-risk species under the old legislation.
Moffat emphasized that the Endangered Species Act had prohibited any harm or destruction to polar bear habitats, but with the passage of Bill 5, this protection may no longer be in place. Additionally, Bill 5 empowers the cabinet to establish “special economic zones” where projects like constructing mines or transportation infrastructure can bypass provincial laws and municipal regulations to expedite initiatives crucial to the national economy.
In Ontario, an estimated 800 to 1,000 polar bears reside along Hudson Bay. Amy Baxendell-Young, the manager of the Cochrane Polar Bear Habitat in northern Ontario, expressed concerns that unrestricted development by mining companies near Hudson Bay could harm polar bear habitats. However, she highlighted that climate change remains the most significant threat to Canada’s polar bear population.
Baxendell-Young noted that due to climate change, polar bears are experiencing longer ice-free periods, impacting their ability to hunt seals, their primary prey. She further explained that in Ontario, polar bears construct dens in peatlands, which are becoming less stable due to climate change, leading to a decline in the province’s polar bear population over the past two decades.
Ontario’s Minister of Environment, Conservation, and Parks’ spokesperson, Alexandru Cioban, stated that the new Species Conservation Act aims to establish stringent environmental protections by implementing clear rules for businesses while enhancing the enforcement of species preservation laws. The legislation will also receive a $20 million annual investment for an upgraded species conservation program.
Under the Species Conservation Act, Ontario’s Committee on the Status of Species at Risk will continue to categorize species as extirpated, endangered, or threatened. The law prohibits activities that may lead to a species no longer existing in the wild in Ontario, ensuring a focus on conservation efforts.