Ontario Nature Blog

Recent and proposed changes to land use planning at the provincial level have eroded protections for wetlands and other natural areas (e.g., Greenbelt land removals, Bill 23, gutting the Ontario Wetland Evaluation System, and the government’s proposal to replace the Provincial Policy Statement). In the throes of these harmful policy changes, the Ontario government is ...

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Southern Ontario has long been known for its fertile farmland, which supports a thriving agricultural industry and provides food for local communities. Shockingly, however, we are now witnessing the loss of this valuable resource at the rate of 319 acres per day – a rate that may well accelerate given recent and ongoing changes to ...

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Without the chorus of birdsong and frog calls heard in warmer months, it’s easy to picture wetlands as vacant in the winter. But appearances can be deceiving. Snow-blanketed ice transforms into a living guestbook wildlife sign with their feet. Barren trees become stopovers for visiting birds. A wetland in winter may be a quiet scene, ...

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By now you’ve probably noticed our provincial government has been taking a thorough, bit-by-bit approach to dismantling our environmental laws and policies. This makes the environmental challenges we are facing seem like pieces of an unsolvable puzzle. Of course, this is not the case. Indigenous Knowledge teaches us that every piece of the puzzle is ...

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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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