BILL 5 - CALL TO ACTION
Bill 5 – A Step Backward for Endangered Species
The newly proposed Protect Ontario by Unleashing Our Economy Act, 2025 (Bill 5) introduces sweeping changes that could seriously undermine protections for species at risk, wildlife habitat, and Ontario’s broader environmental integrity.
Among the changes are amendments to the Endangered Species Act that would make it optional—not mandatory—to list species as at risk. The bill also redefines what qualifies as “habitat,” which could limit the areas protected for vulnerable species and lead to more habitat loss. Requirements for recovery plans are being repealed, and faster approvals for industrial development could open the door to more pollution, emissions, and destruction of sensitive ecosystems like wetlands and forests.
Although the government claims it will invest more in species conservation, past reviews raise serious concerns about how effectively this funding will be used.
What happens next depends on what people choose to do. You can sign a petition led by Environmental Defence or Ontario Nature, submit a public comment on the Environmental Registry by May 17, and/or contact your local MPP to voice your concerns. Links to these options and further reading are available below.
This isn’t just about policy—it’s about the kind of future we want for Ontario’s wildlife, landscapes, and communities. Every action matters.
Sign Environmental Defences Stop Bill 5 take action petition:
https://act.environmentaldefence.ca/page/170384/action/1?ea.url.id=8088375
Sign Ontario Nature’s call to action: https://ontarionature.good.do/bill-5-stop-attacks-on-endangered-species/Email/
Make a phone call! Join Ontario Nature in calling on the Government of Ontario to stop Bill 5 and the attacks on endangered species. Call Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario at 416-325-1941.
https://ontarionature.good.do/bill-5-stop-attacks-on-endangered-species/call/
Submit your comment on the proposed changes to the Endangered Species Act, 2007 and the Species Conservation Act, 2025. The public comment period is open until May 17, 2025. Visit the Environmental Registry of Ontario and speak up: ero.ontario.ca/notice/025-0380
Contact your Member of Provincial Parliament
Contact your local MPP and let them know you expect them to represent the public interest, not just developers or corporate lobbyists.
Share this message with your networks. Talk to your neighbours, your colleagues, your community. Many people still don’t know this is happening. Let’s change that.
For a detailed review of Bill 5, please visit the Legislative Assembly of Ontario's website: https://www.ola.org/en/legislative-business/bills/parliament-44/session-1/bill-5
Conclusion
Bill 5's provisions pose significant threats to Ontario's environmental integrity. The weakening of species protections, the potential for increased habitat destruction, and the facilitation of industrial development without adequate safeguards could have long-lasting negative impacts on biodiversity and climate resilience.
If passed, Bill 5 is not just another policy—it is a deliberate step backward in our collective fight to protect Ontario's natural heritage. Because once the wild is paved over, it's lost forever. Let's defend what cannot defend itself before it's too late. Speak for the wild.
Photo Credit: Brtthome
