Under cover of COVID, Ford government is paving our wetlands
Bruce Trail. Stanley Park. Webster’s Falls. Doug Ford Distribution Centre.
Haven’t heard of the last one? You likely won’t, but that’s what is happening to over 50 acres of wetlands in Pickering thanks to the Progressive Conservative government’s Minister’s Zoning Orders (MZO). And this is not an isolated incident. The next target may be five wetlands within the provincially significant East Humber River Wetland Complex in Vaughan. The town of Pickering and the Toronto Conservation Authority protested, but the order went forward anyway to bulldoze the wetlands to make room for a distribution centre. So now it’s time for the rest of us to take action.
Despite the fact that he holds a news conference almost every day, I don’t recall Doug Ford mentioning this. Perhaps it’s because the government doesn’t want the public to know what they are doing behind the scenes while everyone is dealing with the current pandemic?
If we sit back and do nothing, more wetlands and protected areas will be destroyed in the name of development. Wetlands are an integral part of our environment and play a key role in cleaning the air and regulating water flow.
A 2009 study commissioned by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry conservatively valued wetland benefits at over $161,000 per hectare per year in urban settings.
It’s easy to think nothing can be done since this is a majority government. But there are things that any concerned citizen of this province can do:
1. Write to your local MPP. If they are a member of an opposition party, demand that they bring up this issue in the legislature. If they are a member of the current government, demand that this be stopped and remind them that a majority government can disappear to almost nothing in a single election. Our MPPS work for us. We pay their salaries and benefits. Hold them accountable.
2. Sign a petition. Ontario Nature has one on their website (ontarionature.org ) and there are others on similar sites.
3. Support organizations such as Ontario Nature, Ducks Unlimited or the Nature Conservancy that are dedicated to protecting the environment. They have been hit hard this year and need all the help they can get.
4. Spread the word. Tell your friends and family. Contact the local media. This claims to be a government “for the people.” If enough people speak up, we cannot be ignored.
Some may think that there are more important things to worry about right now, but protecting nature is more vital than ever. Did anyone feel the need to get outside and get in touch with Walmart when the pandemic struck?