Joint Letters from Ontario Nature
and the Ontario Nature Network
As a member of the Nature Network, a federated member group of about 150 member groups across Ontario, the Friends of Stittsville Wetlands are provided with opportunities to join forces with Ontario Nature and others to protect wild species and wild spaces and make sure our collective voice for nature is heard.
Check out these joint letters.
December 16, 2024 – Submission from Ontario Nature, Nature Canada, and other organizations requesting the Government of Ontario to commit to the protection and restoration of nature across Ontario by effectively implementing the existing provincial Biodiversity Strategy and aligning it with federal activities in the 2030 Nature Strategy.
November 12, 2024 – Submission from Ontario Nature and other organizations urging the Government of Ontario to restore and strengthen wetland protections, as numerous changes to provincial policy and legislation have left these critical ecosystems at risk.
Add your voice to thousands of others!
Help protect Ontario’s wetlands and secure a sustainable future for all, please consider signing Ontario Nature’s Action Alert, and joining us and thousands of others in advocating for Ontario’s wetlands.
September 18, 2024 – As part of a letter-writing campaign spearheaded by Ontario Nature the Friends of Stittsville Wetlands, made a submission urging the provincial government to reverse changes made to the Endangered Species Act and its regulations since 2019 and restore an effective, science-based regulatory regime that protects and promotes recovery of Ontario’s species at risk.
Add your voice to thousands of others!
Please join Ontario Nature and others in urging the Government of Ontario to restore an effective, science-based regulatory regime under the Endangered Species Act and its regulations.
May 6, 2024 – The Friends of Stittsville Wetlands joined voices with Ontario Nature to oppose the Government of Ontario’s proposed new regulation under the Conservation Authorities Act (ERO No. 019-8320).
The proposed regulation would enable the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry to override or take over a very broad suite of permitting decisions issued by conservation authorities for activities prohibited without a permit (e.g., changing or interfering with watercourses and wetlands or undertaking development activities in hazard lands, wetlands, river valleys, shorelines and inland lakes and other areas under a conservation authority’s jurisdiction).
These new powers would apply broadly to development activities supporting “provincial interests” such as housing, community services, transportation, economic development, employment, and mixed-use development.
February 20, 2024 – Submission from Ontario Nature and other organizations expressing concern about the proposed amendments to regulations under the Endangered Species Act, 2007 (ESA). The overall direction of the proposed amendments is to speed up approvals and reduce the burden and costs for proponents of harmful activities, to the detriment of Ontario’s most vulnerable plants and animals.
February 2, 2024 – Submission from Ontario Nature and other organizations on the Budget 2024 requesting an investment of $100 million per year over four years in the establishment of new protected and conserved areas, as recommended by the government-appointed Protected Areas Working Group.
February 3, 2025 – Submission from Ontario Nature and other organizations to the Premier of Ontario and the Ontario leaders of the New Democratic Party, the Liberal Party, and the Green Party requesting that each of their political parties commit to specific actions to protect and restore nature as part of their provincial election priorities.
There are many challenges facing Ontario, but the interrelated crises of biodiversity loss and climate change will fundamentally affect the long-term health and sustainability of the province without swift and strong action.
In Ontario, the 2024 Auditor General Annual Reports shine a light on the continued pattern of weakening environmental protections in Ontario. Yet, polling from May 2024 shows Ontarians overwhelmingly (88%) agree that the province should invest in the protection, restoration, and sustainable use of biodiversity.
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We are growing and we need your help! Together, we will be the voice to protect, restore, regenerate, and rewild our wetlands.