Ontario Nature Blog

Turtles, often referred to as modern day dinosaurs, with their distinctive domed, bony shell, are easy to recognize. This unique armoured architecture provides turtles with protection from predators. However, despite their protective shells, seven of Ontario’s eight species of turtles are currently listed as species at-risk under the Ontario Endangered Species Act, 2007, and face ...

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In February 2019, we sounded the alarm about the provincial government’s plans to amend the Endangered Species Act, 2007 (ESA). Well, their proposed amendments are in and it’s worse than we predicted. On April 18, 2019, Ontario’s Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) posted an overview of its proposed changes to Ontario’s ESA. These changes ...

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Citizens groups across Ontario are sounding the alarm about the provincial government’s plans to amend the Endangered Species Act, 2007 (ESA). Here’s what you need to know:  1. The overall direction of the ESA review is environmental deregulation. Don’t be fooled. Though the government claims that it wants to improve protections for species at risk, ...

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It is interesting how readily nature advocates can be dismissed as tree huggers or bleeding hearts – as if caring about our fellow creatures were somehow improper. Rachel Carson herself was belittled as being too sentimental and emotional – even hysterical – in her fight to raise awareness about the deadly impacts of pesticides on ...

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In its rush to cut “red tape” and ensure Ontario is “open-for-business,” the Government of Ontario is taking a sledge hammer to our environment laws and policies. First it cancelled cap-and-trade, designed to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and meet internationally agreed-upon targets to address climate change. Then it dismantled the office of the Environmental ...

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