Doug Ford is reviewing Endangered Species Act to find 'efficiencies for businesses' | Unpublished
Hello!
×

Warning message

  • Last import of users from Drupal Production environment ran more than 7 days ago. Import users by accessing /admin/config/live-importer/drupal-run
  • Last import of nodes from Drupal Production environment ran more than 7 days ago. Import nodes by accessing /admin/config/live-importer/drupal-run

Unpublished Opinions

National Observer's picture
Vancouver, British Columbia
About the author

National Observer is a new publication founded by Linda Solomon Wood and an award-winning team of journalists in response to the close relationship between the oil industry and media in Canada, and the urgency of climate change. National Observer focuses on news and in-depth reports on under-covered Canadian stories in the area of climate, energy, and related culture, business and politics. It was launched in May 2015 by Observer Media Group (OMG), which also owns Vancouver Observer.

Seed funding for National Observer came from a Kickstarter campaign, 'Reports from the Energy Battlegrounds' in February 2015. Since its inception in May 2015, National Observer has provided intensive, critical coverage of the oil industry, politics, corporate corruption, and much more.

We also highlight inspired business innovations and lifestyle hacks that build sustainability and resilience and help in the transition away from fossil fuels.

We provide our talented reporters days, weeks, sometimes even months, to do the investigative reporting that is vital to democracy.

For more information please visit our website at: http://www.nationalobserver.com

Like it

Doug Ford is reviewing Endangered Species Act to find 'efficiencies for businesses'

January 18, 2019

Canada's most populous province has launched a sweeping review of a law protecting endangered species in order to find "efficiencies for businesses."

Ontario Premier Doug Ford's government announced the review of the provincial Endangered Species Act through a paper released Friday afternoon by the provincial Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.

The paper's wording suggests that Ford's Progressive Conservatives — who promised in the 2018 election campaign to make Ontario "open for business" — are eager to soften the existing legislation and reduce onerous obligations on businesses. These obligations were put in place to help protect endangered species like the caribou — the iconic species featured on Canadian quarters — that are at risk of disappearing from regions of Ontario and other provinces due to industrial development.

Another environmental law, Ontario's Environmental Bill of Rights, requires the government to begin a 45-day public consultation period as part of what it is calling its 10th-year review of the endangered species law. The consultation is now open.

Environment Minister Rod Phillips said in a statement that this would improve the "effectiveness" of environmental protections and find a "balanced approach" to boost the environment and the economy.