Ontario Nature Blog

Two weeks prior to the commencement of the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 30), which just wrapped up in Brazil, billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates published a shocking memo denouncing the “doomsday view of climate change.” With unwavering faith in innovation and technology, he asserts that the current focus on greenhouse gas emissions reductions ...

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Ontario’s Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) is throwing precaution and good advice to the wind in its approach to protecting the endangered black ash. When the species was listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in January 2022, the ministry chose to delay legal protection for two years. Now that time is almost ...

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Earlier this month, the Auditor General released a blistering report critiquing the Government of Ontario’s “indefensible” process of removing thousands of hectares from the Greenbelt. The Premier immediately responded by stubbornly refusing to reverse his decision. His response has underlined once more the need for constant vigilance and a strong united voice if we are ...

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On October 25, 2022, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) posted a proposal to overhaul the Ontario Wetland Evaluation System (OWES). The deadline for public comment is November 24, 2022. OWES assessments are necessary to designate Provincially Significant Wetlands (PSWs). Such designation results in a high level of protection for wetlands under provincial ...

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On October 25th, the Government of Ontario tabled Bill 23, the More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022, an omnibus bill proposing sweeping changes to the province’s natural heritage and land use planning legislation and policy. Overall, Bill 23 and associated policies remove and weaken environmental protections and diminish the role of Ontarians in land use ...

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