Four months after repealing its Endangered Species Act, the Ontario provincial government has introduced legislation that will cease to recognize Ontario’s 106 endangered species, handing responsibility for their protection entirely to the federal government. There are 13 endangered bird species in Ontario, including the Acadian flycatcher, Kirtland’s warbler, Golden eagle, and Red-headed woodpecker. Also dumped into the federal lap are the province’s 16 bird species of special concern, such as the Yellow rail, the Olive-sided flycatcher, and the Peregrine falcon.

“Premier Ford has shown a pattern of consistently prioritizing his developer friends and unnecessary projects over wildlife and nature,” says Phil Pothen, of the Ontario Environmental Defense agency. Removing Ontario’s responsibility to protect species at risk allows the government to proceed with its controversial plan to build Highway 413 across protected wetlands, sensitive bird habitat, and the Greenbelt.

“Pelee Island not only provides critical breeding habitat for hundreds of migratory birds,” says PIBO Board member Ian Davidson, “it also supports vital stopover habitat for major populations of Arctic and boreal species like shorebirds, waterfowl and raptors. The proposed changes to Ontario’s endangered-species legislation are concerning to PIBO, given the reduced protections afforded migratory birds that depend on Pelee Island for breeding and passage.”

PIBO encourages all its supporters to voice their concerns about the proposed legislative changes.