Abby Shin

Ford has issued attack after attack on our environment and it’s infuriating.

At this point, Doug Ford’s indifference toward the environment seems a lot more like an outright vendetta against the ecosystems which uphold our economy, health, and culture. As a lifelong Ontarian and an environmental studies student, the premier’s constant anti-nature, anti-climate policies are horrifying, depressing, and – for lack of a better term – incredibly stupid.

The worst part, in my opinion, is that Ford takes advantage of fears surrounding economic and housing instability to excuse his shortcut-ridden, anti-science, pro-lobbyist policies. Which, in reality, are destroying our chance at a sustainable, safe, affordable future. Ford’s vision for Ontario is full of concrete, highways, and lifeless suburbs – all of which directly ignore the countless experts which condemn urban sprawl as a solution to housing crises. Not to mention this directly contradicts the Ontario’s Housing Affordability Task Force’s 2022 report, which – among other things – emphasized that:

• Shortage of available land is not an issue, parcels of protected land do not need to be opened up for development.
• Land is being used inefficiently across Ontario, and higher density around transit hubs are required rather than sprawl.
• Environmental protection does not need to be sacraficed in lieu of the housing crisis.

Why should you care?

If there is anyone reading this that thinks environmental-related policies only impact the environment, you are wrong. Biodiversity, ecosystems, and their related processes/functions are the literal foundation of all life. They give us the air we breathe, the food we eat, and are our first line of defense against the increasing consequences of climate change. There is no separation between us and our ecosystems – this is a simple fact that rings true despite your political or ethical beliefs.

This post will introduce some of the ways Ford has consistently put short-term gains over the long-term benefit of his constituents and their environment. Unfortunately, it still barely scratches the surface.

Bill 5: Passed on June 4, 2025, labelled Ford’s “most dangerous legislation yet”.

Bill 5 (the Protect Ontario by Unleashing Our Economy Act, 2025) is an outright attack on democracy, Indigenous rights, species at risk, and all of Canada’s ecological stability. It was passed without sufficient democratic debate nor enough time to consider public comments received on the Environmental Registry of Ontario. It will …

• REPEAL THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT: Instead replacing it with the extremely watered down, unscientific Species Conservation Act. This new act …
  • No longer prioritizes species recovery, simply a stable population. However, it is so stripped down that it virtually ensures decline, extirpation, or extinction.
  • Redefines the word “habitat” to not include the areas species actually need for survival (hunting grounds, etc.), and only include the nest, den, or immediate area around it. the Act also allows for Cabinet to further narrow this definition.
  • Unregulating “harassment” of at-risk wildlife.
  • Essentially makes species protection a solely political choice.
• CREATE THE SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONES ACT: This allows Provincial Cabinet to create law-free zones for designated areas and corporations, which …
  • Ensure provincial and municipal laws do not apply.
  • Entirely disregard Indigenous rights and land ownership.
  • Are usually used in dictatorships, and often fail to meet economic goals but almost always cause major social, human rights, and environmental damages.
• GUT ENVRIONMENTAL ASSESSMENT: With developers being able to begin projects before environmental impacts are known. Namely …
  • Developers no longer having to apply for permits when projects threaten species or their habitat.
  • Instead, they can now complete an online form, submit it, and begin building before it’s even reviewed.
• FAST TRACK MINING AND INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT: Specifically in ecologically sensitive and highly-contested areas (e.g., the Ring of Fire) without proper consultation or consent from Indigenous communities.

This just scratches the surface of Bill 5’s incoming affects. Despite it’s unprecedented contention from MPs, MPPs, environmental organizations, First Nations groups, agriculture collectives, and more. To learn more, check out these responses from the David Suzuki Foundation, Ecojustice, and Chiefs of Ontario, as well as this joint letter to provincial Environment Minister McCarthy signed by over 100 organizations.

Update: SIGN HERE TO URGE FORD, YOUR LOCAL MPP, AND YOUR CITY COUNCILLOR TO REPEAL BILL 5.

Bill 23: Passed in 2022, forcing unnecessary urban sprawl and destroying ecosystems to do so.

Passed in 2022, the More Homes Built Faster Act “streamlines” (i.e., weakens) dozens of laws in order to build 1.5 million homes by 2032. Yet again, it is another instance of Ford forcing harmful, ugly, inefficient, urban sprawl onto Ontarians by rejecting science and research and ignoring protests from his constituents, colleagues, and countless civil groups. Bill 23 and it’s complimentary policy changes effectively …

• GUT CONSERVATION AUTHORITIES: By disempowering conservation authorities, Ford has yet again targeted a crucial line of defense ecosystems. Including …
  • Amending the Conservation Authorities Act to eliminate and weaken conservation authorities’ jurisdictions and allow Ontario’s Minister of Natural Resources to overrule them about development permits.
  • Bill 23 repealing 36 regulations that allowed conservation authorities to directly oversee the development process.
  • Bill 23 eliminating the need for conservation authority permits related to water-taking as well as interference with rivers, streams, wetlands, creeks, flood control, erosion control.
  • Bill 23 shifting land use planning responsibility from conservation authorities to local municipalities.

• DESTROY WETLAND PROTECTIONS: Wetlands are invaluable ecosystems. They sequester significant amounts of carbon, mitigate flooding and erosion, and prop up at least 20% of Ontario’s species at risk. Southern Ontario alone has lost over 70% of its wetland area to urban sprawl and agriculture. Ford has catalyzed this by …
  • Gutting the Ontario Wetland Evaluation System (OWES), which sets qualifications for wetland protection.
  • Significantly weaking the power of conservation authorities (especially related to water health), and empowering municipalities and Ministers to make politically-inclined decisions rather than scientific ones.
  • Amending the Conservation Authorities Act to reduce minimum distances between development lands and wetlands, and strip jursidiction over water protection.

Learn more about Bill 23’s controversy here, here, and here.

Constant attacks on the Greenbelt: the Greenbelt Scandal and more.

Doug Ford has consistently targeted the Greenbelt’s extremely important farmlands, watersheds, and forests in countless bids which benefit private developers more than the actual Ontarian.

The Greenbelt Scandal

In November 2022, the Ford government announced that it would removing multiple parcels of land from the Greenbelt for housing development. Like always, they insisted this was necessary to address the housing crisis. This sparked an investigation by The Narwhal and the Toronto Star, which revealed that the Greenbelt land targeted for development was actually owned by a small group of well-connected developers. Despite outcries from journalists, Ford and his Housing Minister Steve Clark directly denied that they tipped off developers before Greenbelt changes were announced publicly – this was a lie.

A further investigation by Ontario’s Auditor General and Integrity Commissioner reported that the government directly granted the developers’ requests for Greenbelt carveouts, which would make said developers billions of dollars. All but one of the 15 areas to be removed from the Greenbelt were suggested by Clark’s Chief of Staff – based on recommendations from developers. The Auditor General also found that if these requested parcels of land did not meet criteria for selection (e.g., negative environmental impacts), the criteria were agreed to be dropped rather than new areas chosen. While Clark and his Chief of Staff both resigned, Ford was just as guilty in breaking ethics rules by allowing policies to be directly swayed by private corporations. He is still currently under investigation by the RCMP.

Ford and his government were proven to be in the pocket of developers time and time again, which would have had catastrophic consequences for Ontario’s environment and citizens if journalists and watchdogs had not stepped in. While Ford went back on the land seizing, his government remains very influenced by those that profit off development and the Greenbelt remains threatened. Learn more about the scandal here and here.

Highway 413, the Bradford Bypass, and Bill 212.

Both of these highways will cut through the Greenbelt, despite many studies that show new highways are not the right answer to congestion issues. While they may reduce traffic initially, they eventually attract more drivers and again become congested – they are a band aid solution that cause irreversible environmental damage. The Ford government has ignored research and common sense (yet again) in …

• The passing of Bill 212, the Reducing Gridlock, Saving You Time Act, which allows government to begin building Highway 413 before the environmental review or Indigenous consultation process is complete.
• Pushing the Bradford Bypass, which would cut directly through the Holland Marsh section of the Greenbelt, through farmland, and cross the Holland River. Despite their own documents estimate that parts of the Bradford Bypass will become clogged the first year it opens.
• Quietly discussing doubling the Bypass to eight lanes, despite telling the public it will be a four-lane highway.

Countless other shortsighted choices by Ford and his government.

• Appointing Todd McCarthy as Minister of Environment, Conservation, and Parks despite him having zero experience in such matters. McCarthy being caught on Ring camera footage attempting to persuade a voter that the leaked video of Ford promising Greenbelt parcels to developers was AI/fake news does not bode well for McCarthy’s morals.
• Their attack on bike lanes, which have been shown time and time again to be an essential solution for traffic congestion. See here and here.
• Their close relationship with and possible cue-taking from Enbridge Gas.
• Abondoning their “Carbon Trust”, a central component of his Conservative’s 2018 Made-in-Ontario Environment Plan, their only climate plan.
• Their failure to protect Boreal and Lake Superior caribou populations – iconic species of Canada facing significant decline.
• Redeveloping Ontario Place without environmental review on the huge, private indoor spa, as well as proposing legislation that would further exclude it from environmental laws.
• So. much. more!!!

Final thoughts.

As wildfires blaze, floods flow, temperatures rise, and species die, Ford and his government are only concerned with outdated solutions that put private profit over Ontario’s health. They abandon democracy, ignore public outcry, trample over First Nations’ rights, and attack our species at risk. For what? Economic development is meaningless in a world of climate apocalypse and collapsed ecosystems!

I, like countless others, have completely lost my patience for horrible politicians who reject good government, science, and common sense. It is crucial that the voice of the people does not lose its sway, and that we keep these leaders accountable – no matter how overwhelming their horribleness may be. The best way to start is by equipping yourself with knowledge and awareness, and by supporting the many organizations still fighting the good fight.

So, what can you do? My best suggestion is to fill your feeds – whether this be social media, email newsletters, web notifications – with news from organizations such as Ecojustice Canada, Greenpeace Canada, the David Suzuki Foundation, Environmental Defence Canada, Ontario Nature, the Assembly of First Nations, The Narwhal, and the Green Party of Ontario and Canada. This is where you can easily access education and updates about political happenings and be directed to resources such as petitions, email and phone campaigns, events, articles, etc.

References

For sources, see the links in post.