Queen’s Park 9 am December 8, 2020
Today the Ontario government will put budget bill 229-- including highly controversial cuts to the power of Conservation Authorities - up for a vote. Ontarians are out at Queen’s Park to say NO, instead calling for protection of key wetlands against big development. They also oppose a permanent exemption for logging operations from the Endangered Species Act.
“The Endangered Species act is there to protect vulnerable wildlife.” said Katie Krelove of the Wilderness Committee. “These changes are merely the latest in a long line of attacks on environmental protections by the Conservative government, all in the name of “cutting red tape”. They are pandering to big developers and industry at the expense of the health and safety of everyone else.”
A small group of environmental defenders, complying with Toronto Covid guidelines, representing hundreds more, is gathering in front of Queen’s Park this morning at 9AM to mark the vast public opposition to this gutting of environmental oversight and to pledge to keep up the fight for a true green recovery that protects natural ecosystems.
“Over 50,000 people wrote letters to their MPPs, the premier and the ministers of the environment and municipal affairs to oppose these cuts” said Lyn Adamson of ClimateFast “We could have had hundreds if not thousands here today, We chose to keep things small for safety reasons. The Ontario government is choosing profits for their developer buddies over people, nature and key climate change adaptation strategies.”
“The Ontario public will not forget this. It is a betrayal of future generations.” said Sharon Bider of ClimateFast, attending at Queen’s Park with her granddaughter.
“People in Ontario are increasingly recognizing the importance of protections for wetlands, woodlands and wildlife as contributing to their own health, safety and quality of life especially in the months of Covid restrictions “ said Katie Krelove, Ontario campaigner with the Wilderness Committee, “it’s really shocking that the Ford government continues to work against the public interest and gut environmental oversight against public outcry.”
We invite the media to join us for photo ops and interviews from 9-10AM, Tuesday Dec. 8, 2020 on the front lawn of Queen’s Park.
Katie Krelove, Wilderness Committee, katie@wildernesscommittee.org cell: 647-208-4026
Lyn Adamson, Co-Chair, ClimateFast, lyn@climatefast.ca, cell: 416-731-6605