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Threats to Ontario's Boreal Forest
In Ontario's southern boreal forest (stretching from the Great Lakes north to roughly the 50th parallel) a long history of one industrial use after another planned in isolation from each other has fragmented the forest into small patches and had a severe impact on sensitive forest wildlife, such as caribou and wolverine, which have all but disappeared from this region. Meanwhile millions of songbird nests have been cut down in the race to feed pulp and saw mills.
But it's not too late -- we can still ensure that the wilds of the northern boreal forests remain healthy and productive for the billions of birds that depend upon them. Ontario Nature is urging the provincial government to properly protect the northern boreal region. We want to ensure that conservation-based planning is in place before industry becomes established in the northern boreal forest.
Logging
Forestry companies are eyeing trees north of the current "cut line" and a government initiative is promoting logging in remote northern forests once considered unprofitable to log, mostly for the production of pulp and paper. Some of these companies are turning the boreal forest into toilet paper, junk mail, and catalogs, instead of using post consumer products to produce their materials. There is movement in the paper industry towards increasing the recycled content of paper products and utilizing alternative sources of fiber for paper production, such as agricultural waste, hemp and kenaf. Initiatives that focus on alternative paper production methods show that it is possible for industry to move away from its reliance on boreal pulp, while maintaining jobs.
Mining
Approximately 4,400 mining claims have been staked across the northern half of Ontario's Boreal Forest.
When developed, a mine creates a huge impact or ‘footprint' especially when the large supporting infrastructure of roads, transmission corridors, and air and water pollution impacts are included. While relatively few mines are built, mineral exploration alone has significant impacts. Shockingly, neither mineral exploration nor mine development is subject to environmental assessment in Ontario. There is a real ‘gold rush' on in northern Ontario with renewed staking and mineral development, greatly increasing concerns about environmental impacts - and leading to increased confrontation with some First Nations.
Hydro-electric power generation
The best known effect of hydro is its impact of damming rivers and waterways, and flooding vast areas of forests, valleys, and lakes. There is an increasing threat to Canada's central boreal region with major developments being planned or considered in Manitoba, and in Quebec - that's on top of the massive installations both of those provinces already have. Ontario may be less invested in hydro than our immediate neighbours, but many small, medium and larger projects are envisioned as the province's energy demand soars and the government's promise to shut down coal-fired generation plants is implemented.
Like so many industrial activities, the impacts of hydro development go far beyond the local site. Massive transmission corridors, with supporting road networks further fragment habitats across thousands of kilometres.
Perhaps the biggest current hydroelectric threat to Ontario's northern boreal is from outside the province's borders. A proposed new project in Manitoba could lead to the construction of a massive transmission corridor through the heart of both provinces' frontier boreal forest.
It's not too late! We can still ensure that the wilds of the northern boreal forests remain healthy and productive for the billions of birds that depend on them.
