An environmental group is warning that Ontario’s Bill 5 could endanger the future of polar bears in the province. The legislation, known as the Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, scraps the existing Endangered Species Act and introduces the new Species Conservation Act.
According to Shane Moffat, the conservation campaigns and advocacy manager at Ontario Nature, the revised law offers weaker protections for at-risk species like polar bears. Moffat highlighted that the previous legislation required the province to develop recovery plans for threatened species and prohibited any harm to polar bear habitats.
Under Bill 5, the government gains authority to establish “special economic zones” exempt from provincial laws and municipal bylaws to expedite nationally significant projects. Approximately 800 to 1,000 polar bears reside near Hudson Bay in Ontario.
Amy Baxendell-Young, the manager of the Cochrane Polar Bear Habitat in northern Ontario, expressed concerns that unrestricted mining activities near Hudson Bay could harm polar bear habitats. She emphasized that climate change remains the primary threat to Canada’s polar bear population, affecting their hunting abilities due to diminishing sea ice.
Baxendell-Young noted that polar bears in Ontario construct dens in peatlands, which are increasingly unstable due to climate change, leading to a decline in the province’s polar bear numbers over the past two decades.
Responding to criticism, Alexandru Cioban, spokesperson for Ontario’s Minister of Environment, Conservation, and Parks Todd McCarthy, stated that the Species Conservation Act establishes stringent environmental safeguards and enhances enforcement mechanisms. The legislation will also receive $20 million annually to support an improved species conservation program.
The Species Conservation Act empowers Ontario’s Committee on the Status of Species at Risk to classify species as extirpated, endangered, or threatened, while prohibiting activities that could endanger species survival in the wild.
Overall, the new legislation has sparked debates over its potential impact on polar bear conservation efforts in Ontario.
