An environmental group has expressed concern that Ontario’s Bill 5 could jeopardize the future of polar bears in the region. The Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act abolishes the Endangered Species Act in Ontario and introduces the Species Conservation Act. Shane Moffat, the conservation campaigns and advocacy manager at Ontario Nature, contends that the new law provides weaker safeguards for endangered species like polar bears. Moffatt highlighted that previously, the province was required to formulate recovery plans for at-risk species and prohibited any harm to polar bear habitats. However, with the passage of Bill 5, this protection may no longer be guaranteed.
In addition, Bill 5 empowers the cabinet to establish “special economic zones” where certain projects, such as constructing mines or transportation infrastructure, can be exempt from provincial regulations and municipal bylaws in order to expedite projects deemed crucial to the national economy. Ontario is home to an estimated 800 to 1,000 polar bears living near Hudson Bay.
Amy Baxendell-Young, the manager of the Cochrane Polar Bear Habitat in northern Ontario, cautioned that mining activities could pose a threat to polar bear habitats if companies are allowed to exploit resources near Hudson Bay without adhering to local regulations. Despite this concern, Baxendell-Young emphasized that climate change remains the primary menace to Canada’s polar bear population. She explained that as the ice-free period lengthens due to climate change, polar bears struggle to hunt seals, their main prey, as they rely on sea ice as a hunting platform.
Baxendell-Young further revealed that in Ontario, polar bears construct dens for their offspring in peatland, which is becoming less stable due to climate change, leading to a gradual decline in the province’s polar bear population over the past two decades.
Regarding the legislation, Alexandru Cioban, the spokesperson for Ontario’s Minister of Environment, Conservation, and Parks Todd McCarthy, stated that the new Species Conservation Act aims to establish stringent environmental protections by implementing clear rules for businesses to follow while enhancing the enforcement of species conservation laws. Cioban also announced an annual investment of $20 million in an improved species conservation program. Under this act, Ontario’s Committee on the Status of Species at Risk will continue to classify species as extirpated, endangered, or threatened.
The legislation also prohibits engaging in activities likely to result in a species becoming extinct in the wild in Ontario. The government asserts that these measures are essential to safeguard endangered species and maintain biodiversity in the region.
