People tend to forget that the environment comes before anything else: Federal & provincial govs squable about where the responsibility rests

By Lauren Thomas, Environmental Defence

September 29th, 2025

BURLINGTON, ON

Species at risk: Eastern Musk Turtle and Cougars.

Nearly four months after Progressive Conservative MPPs forced approval of a law that will repeal Ontario’s Endangered Species Act, the Ontario government is confirming experts’ gravest warnings about what it will mean for at-risk plants and wildlife. The Ontario government has announced that once the law comes into force, it will cease even to recognize more than 106 different species at risk, ranging from the Eastern Mole, Eastern Musk Turtle and Cougars, to the endangered Redside Dace, and Red-headed Woodpecker.

This decision should light a fire under the federal government to strictly enforce the existing federal Species at Risk Act and existing habitat protection orders in Ontario, but also to expand and broaden federal protections and monitoring. Federal protections will now be the only real protection for many habitats. In particular, because the Ontario government will remove all provincial recognition of endangered and threatened birds and fish, the government of Canada should issue emergency protection orders that extend to all species and habitats previously protected by provincial habitat regulations and the Ontario Species at Risk list.

The Ontario government also intends to remove all recognition of species that are currently recognized as being of “special concern” and monitored due to their susceptibility to identified threats. This means that federal agencies will step up their monitoring of these species’ federal jurisdiction.

Ford has shown a pattern of constantly prioritizing his developer friends and unnecessary projects over wildlife and nature.

Premier Ford has shown a pattern of constantly prioritizing his developer friends and unnecessary projects over wildlife and nature. The federal government must not do the same. Now more than ever, it is crucial that the federal government uphold and enforce the appropriate federal laws and deny the approval of permits that would allow harmful development projects to destroy critical habitat.

ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian environmental advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.