Ontario Nature Blog

The Government of Canada makes promises about protecting nature, but do you ever wonder how well they follow through? The Auditor General of Canada has a Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development, and every year the commissioner publishes reports on how the government is performing on their stated objectives. These reports inform parliament of ...

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Have you ever wondered how different species adapt to survive the coldest months of the year? Animals have different mechanisms to stay warm and source food when options are scarce, but human-caused disturbances like habitat degradation and climate change pose additional challenges to species that are already at risk. COP 15 (also known as the ...

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Despite widespread recognition of the vital benefits provided by Ontario’s diverse natural areas, they continue to be threatened by development pressures. These threats will be exacerbated with the recent passing of Bill 23 and its associated legislative and policy changes which undermine environmental protections across the province under the guise of addressing the affordable housing ...

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Despite repeated promises that there would be no removal of lands from the Greenbelt, the Government of Ontario is planning to carve 7,400 acres out of the Greenbelt anyway. The proposal has shocked and outraged Ontarians of all stripes, and for good reason. Broken promises are of course offensive in their own right. And so is a ...

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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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