Ontario’s Mining Bill Threatens Biodiversity: The Toronto Zoo warns of extinction as a consequence!
A recent article for the Toronto Star underscores how a sweeping piece of legislation in Ontario could result in irreversible damage to biodiversity, and the Toronto Zoo is sounding the alarm. At a recent committee hearing at Queen’s Park, Toronto Zoo CEO Dolf DeJong issued a warning: “This bill, if passed, could undo decades of conservation efforts.”
Bill 5, the Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, aims to fast-track mining and infrastructure development, and environmentalists and conservationists are warning it comes at a serious cost: the potential extinction of some of the province’s most vulnerable species.
The Toronto Zoo warns that the bill weakens critical habitat protections, removes the power of independent science-based committees, and allows for development without environmental review. With the controversial measures, the bill proposes to:
Repeal the Endangered Species Act;
Redefine “habitat” to only include a nest or den and its immediate area;
Allow projects to proceed before environmental permits are issued; and
Create “special economic zones” where environmental laws can be suspended.
Among the many species at risk, the Blanding's turtle - already listed as “threatened” in Ontario - is highlighted in the article. The Toronto Zoo and Parks Canada, has long supported the species through the species recovery program, having released over 700 turtles into Rouge National Urban Park. If the bill passes, the broader habitat these turtles rely on would no longer be protected, jeopardizing their survival as the species travels up to six kilometres each year for nesting, feeding, and hibernation sites - movement that could be severely disrupted.
This bill comes at a time when policy shifts in the U.S. are rolling back environmental protection under the Trump administration, with DeJong adding, “endangered species don’t recognize political boundaries.” In its current form, the bill would allow companies to destroy habitat and kill at-risk species without a full permitting process. Instead, the province is proposing a vague “registration-first” approach that scientists and conservation groups are uncertain that any sort of protections would actually be enforced.
Yet, Premier Doug Ford insists the bill balances economic development and environmental protection. Critics continue to argue that giving the government power to override laws and bypass science makes that balance illusory. The creation of “special economic zones,” starting with the Ring of Fire region in northern Ontario, has already created strong opposition from First Nations communities.
The article makes the Toronto Zoo’s position clear: if the bill passes without safeguards, the province could be trading irreplaceable natural heritage and Canada’s biodiversity for quick economic wins. It showcases the ability of a single regime to enact sweeping legislative changes that have the power to pose a serious threat to long-term biodiversity conservation, all the while also undermining decades of science-based progress. With so many species already experiencing the pressures of climate change and habitat loss, now more than ever is the time to reinforce - not relax - cross-government environmental commitments to biodiversity.
Written by Sabrina Careri, for Ann Dale.
Image Credit: The Toronto Zoo for the Toronto Star