Mantha’s News from the Park
MPP Michael Mantha, Algoma-Manitoulin
Last Thursday Ontario’s Environmental Commissioner Gord Miller released his annual report. The report outlined how the governing liberals have virtually dismantled all existing environmental protections within the province. The Commissioner laid out how major changes within the budget give the government power to hand over crown land and natural resources to private companies. Basically our province’s precious resources, lands, lakes, parks could be handed over to the highest bidder. The Commissioner warned that this could open the door to turning Ontario’s far north into “the Wild West”.
It’s clear from the Environmental Commissioner’s report that the Liberal government has undermined environmental protection by cutting funding for MNR oversight and by outsourcing environmental oversight. Time and time again we see the same decisions being made by this government that puts their own interests, and interests of their friends with deep pockets at the forefront. They have spent billions to save Liberal MPPs seats and hold onto power and turn around and make cuts to services that many Ontarians rely on. This is not a government who has a good record of keeping the public’s best interest at heart.
In the far north, the Ring of Fire has garnered international attention with a world class Chromite deposit. Many mining companies have staked land and have been conducting explorations in the region. The Commissioner indicated that cuts to the MNR are putting at risk its capacity to ensure that the environment is protected as the Ring of Fire is developed. The Commissioner went further by stating the liberals have gutted the Ministry of Natural Resources through budget cuts and regulatory changes, which he claims will deteriorate important environmental protections in our parks, lakes, at-risk species and hunting.
Across the north we have witnessed first-hand the fallout of these massive budget cuts to the MNR. We have seen many our beautiful provincial parks close, others operating on reduced hours. The liberals have now cut the Junior Ranger Program. The program began in 1944, and offered youth from across the province the chance to live and work in a provincial park for eight weeks. In the grand scheme of things, this program cost the province very little, and had huge benefits for everyone involved. For many program participants, this was a life-changing program, and parks benefited from additional workers and community involvement.
As a youth, I had the opportunity to participate in this program for two summers. It was an invaluable learning and growing experience and taught me much about our vast natural resources here in Ontario. I want other youth to have those same opportunities afforded to me in the past. As mentioned last week we have lost the Bear Wise program, where the Ministry has offloaded their responsibilities to the local police and municipalities to deal with wildlife management.
We as northerners know how truly fortunate we are to live in a beautiful area of the province. We take pride in our parks and lakes and care about the protection of our environment. The commissioner warned the Liberal government by stating “When we start to treat nature and species like a bunch of widgets in a factory, we’ve completely lost sight of what’s truly important for our communities and our very identity as Ontarians”. I alongside my colleagues will continue to pressure the Liberal government on the dangers of eroding these environmental safeguards.
As always, please feel free to contact my office about this issue, or any other provincial matters. You can reach my constituency office by email at mmantha-co@ndp.on.ca or by phone at 705-461-9710/1-800-831-1899.
MPP/député Michael Mantha,
Algoma-Manitoulin
