Conservatives to decimate endangered species legislation | Unpublished
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Mike Schreiner
Toronto, Ontario
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A leading advocate for independent businesses, local food and sustainable communities, Mike Schreiner is well known for his leadership in co-founding the award-winning Local Food Plus organization. He brings a proven track record in business and non-profit leadership roles to the Ontario political scene. Schreiner was elected leader of the Green Party of Ontario (GPO) on November 14, 2009. Schreiner, a 43-year old father of two, started his career in the Guelph region as an entrepreneur and advocate in the local food movement. As co-founder of WOW Foods, an award winning local organic food distribution company, Schreiner worked for over 10 years to connect local farmers with consumers in the GTA and Guelph. His business was awarded the Citizen’s Bank of Canada Ethics in Action Award for socially responsible business and the Toronto Food Policy Council’s Local Food Hero Award. He is also co-founder of Earthdance Organics, a Guelph-based food production business that supplied area health foods stores and farmer’s markets in the early 2000s. Building on that success, he helped establish Local Food Plus (LFP), a non-profit that brings farmers and consumers together to promote financially, socially and environmentally sustainable local food systems. While at LFP, the organization won the Canadian Environment Award for Sustainable Living, a Green Toronto Award of Excellence--Health Category, a Green Toronto Award of Excellence--Market Transformation Category and NOW Magazine’s Best of Toronto Award for best new environmental initiative. Family and community are important to Mike. His wife Sandy and their two daughters are active, spending their free time gardening, hiking, fishing, cycling and volunteering in community activities.

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Conservatives to decimate endangered species legislation

April 20, 2019

“The Liberals put the Endangered Species Act on life support. Today the Conservatives proposed changes that pull the plug on protecting endangered species,” said Green Party leader, Mike Schreiner.The most shocking change would allow companies to pay into a fund rather than complying with environmental laws in the Endangered Species Act.  

“This is a Pay-to-Slay fund that green-lights the destruction of species and their habitat. The Act is worthless if deep-pocketed companies can just pay to ignore it,” said Schreiner.

The Minister also announced discretionary powers that would allow him to interfere with science-based recommendations and delay species recovery. The most stunning example is that animals could be delisted from the Species-At-Risk list if they are doing well outside Ontario.

“The health of species elsewhere should not give Ontario permission to exterminate them locally. I am disturbed this government would consider dropping habitat protections because other places are protecting biodiversity,” said Schreiner.

In a press conference, Schreiner pushed back against the government for removing protections under the excuse of cutting red tape and opening Ontario for business.

“Endangered pollinators like the monarch butterfly are critical to Ontario’s $40 billion food and farming sector. Protected areas like the Greenbelt provide $3 billion in environmental benefits, including flood protection, water filtration and carbon storage,” said Schreiner.

“This government cannot call itself fiscally responsible if it is going to pave over the environmental services that nature provides for free,” he said.

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