Georgian Bay Island wetland © Joe Crowley
Communities and conservation teams throughout Ontario have been sounding the alarm concerning the province’s rollback of wetland protections for years. Nonetheless, Canada’s newest report back to the Ramsar Conference – a world wetland conservation treaty – appears to inform a distinct story.
What’s the Ramsar Conference?
The Ramsar Conference is the one international treaty that focuses totally on wetlands, recognizing the various important advantages they supply equivalent to cleansing our water, stopping floods and offering houses for numerous species. The purpose of the Conference is to cease wetland loss and guarantee their “smart use” via native, nationwide and worldwide cooperation.
From July 23 to 31, nations are gathering in Zimbabwe to evaluate how nicely they’re residing as much as their guarantees to guard wetlands and the species that rely upon them.
Canada’s Commitments and Ontario’s Function
As a signatory to the Ramsar Conference, Canada should work in the direction of the Conference’s targets and supply a nationwide progress report each three years.
Ontario performs an enormous half in reaching these commitments, because the province is dwelling to virtually 1 / 4 of the nation’s wetlands. Sadly, the provincial authorities has been chipping away at wetland protections for years.
Clarifying Ontario’s (Lack of) Motion to Defend Wetlands
Ontario’s actions fall in need of the story informed in Canada’s 2025 progress report. To assist make clear, we debunked three of the report’s largest myths about Ontario:
- Delusion: “Conservation Authorities are empowered by Ontario’s Conservation Authorities Act to manage improvement” in and round wetlands.
Actuality: The Authorities of Ontario has repeatedly undermined Conservation Authorities lately. From blocking their skill to weigh in on the impacts of improvement on air pollution or land conservation, to fast-tracking improvement by overriding their choices, the provincial authorities has made it tougher than ever for them to help the smart administration of wetlands in Ontario.
- Delusion: “Ontario’s Biodiversity Technique contributes to nationwide [Convention on Biological Diversity] efforts and acknowledges the significance of wetlands on the panorama.”
Actuality: Ontario lags far behind different provinces in its contributions to Canada’s nationwide protected areas goal. The province hid suggestions from its personal skilled working group outlining how you can get there and deserted the provincial wetland conservation technique, signaling there isn’t any significant plan to guard wetlands or help Canada’s worldwide commitments. The province has additionally didn’t allocate funding to help the Ontario Biodiversity Technique.
- Delusion: Ontario’s Environmental Evaluation Act is a primary instance of provincial laws that requires “environmental assessments be executed on initiatives with the potential to influence wetlands.”
Actuality: The provincial authorities permits main initiatives to bypass the environmental evaluation course of. For instance, Freeway 413, the Bradford Bypass and the Eagle’s Nest mine will all transfer forward with out complete assessments, threatening wetlands just like the Holland Marsh and James Bay Lowlands. The passing of Invoice 5 additionally permits the province to create “particular financial zones” the place provincial legal guidelines and rules, just like the Environmental Evaluation Act, don’t apply.
The Path Ahead
Because the 2025 Ramsar talks proceed, the world is watching. The unlucky actuality is that Ontario will not be the wetland conservation chief it was offered as. Nonetheless, the province can nonetheless change course.
A transparent first step is to repeal Invoice 5. Then, the Ontario Authorities should proceed to restore and strengthen provincial wetland protections in a approach that respects Indigenous rights and governance.
If Canada goes to fulfill its wetland conservation commitments at dwelling and on the worldwide stage, Ontario should step as much as defend the wetlands that all of us rely upon.
By Sarah Syed and Sarah Hasenack
Sarah (she/her) is a Wetland Conservation Intern at Ontario Nature, the place she works to guard and restore very important ecosystems throughout the province via digital storytelling and advocacy initiatives. She is captivated with empowering communities via environmental training. Sarah additionally sits on the UN-Habitat Youth Advisory Board as a consultant from Canada.
Sarah (she/her) is a Conservation Campaigns Coordinator at Ontario Nature and has been engaged on the group’s wetlands marketing campaign since 2022. She has a ardour for the safety and appreciation of nature fostered via years of household tenting and climbing journeys, supported by two Environmental Sciences levels accomplished on the College of Guelph.
Ontario Nature is a charity that has been defending wild species and wild areas via training, conservation and public engagement since 1931. We’re there when nature wants us most.
