GUELPH – It was a stiflingly hot day on Aug. 11, but that didn’t stop people from gathering in the shade at Royal City Park to prepare post cards to send to Queen’s Park, in opposition of Bill 5.
The bill, also known as the Protect Ontario by Unleashing Our Economy Act, fasttracks major energy, infrastructure, mining and landfill projects.
The bill replaced Ontario’s Endangered Species Act with the Species Conservation Act, which event organizer Sarah Christie said “removed critical protections for more than 270 species.”
The postcards are written as though from the perspectives of these species, describing why that species is important for the greater ecosystem and why its populations are in decline.
Postcards were written as though from the perspective of various endangered species including rustry-patched bumble bees, red-headed woodpeckers, piping plovers, eastern sand darter fish and Laura’s clubtail dragronflies.
The postcards urge for the reversal of Bill 5, and the restoration of safeguards to protect Ontario’s wildlife.
From left, event organizer Sarah Christie, Howard Hall and Elora resident Donna McCaw.
Bill 5 “creates lawless zones [for developers] and that to me is corrupt and dangerous and anti-democratic,” said Elora resident Donna McCaw, while cutting out postcaards to send to premier Doug Ford.
“We can’t complain about what’s happening in the U.S. without fighting back against Trumpian policies here,” she added.
Clockwise, from left, Shannon Cassidy, Maria Karanicolas, Sam Casey, JoAnne Harmen and Mackenzie Cassidy. Photos by Robin George
McCaw said over 200 post cards had been mailed so far, and the group aimed to have 100 more ready to send by the end of the evening.
Christie has created postcards for 63 different species thus far, which she has made publicly available at tinyurl.com/2ms6kxuv and is encouraging people to print and mail to Ford.
The postcards will also be distributed during a rally against Bill 5 in Elora on Aug. 23 from 1 to 3pm.
