OPINION: Hwy. 413 plan would threaten Canada’s most endangered wildlife species – Toronto Sun
Sep 03, 2024
The Ontario government’s proposed Highway 413 is unnecessary, will be shockingly expensive and is wildly unpopular (a recent Toronto Star poll showed 84 per cent opposition from Ontarians). It is also being built to enable sprawl, rather than serve commuters, posing a real and devastating threat to farmland and remaining high quality natural areas in Halton, Peel and York Regions. More alarmingly, many of these areas are home to the best remaining critical habitat for some of Canada’s most endangered wildlife species.
Recent legal efforts by Environmental Defence and Ecojustice have secured the completion and release of the finalized federal Recovery Strategy for Redside Dace after its mandatory publication was delayed. Redside dace are one of the most critically endangered fish species threatened by the proposed highway. Mapping of the highway’s proposed route, and the many rivers and streams it would cross, shows that it would directly destroy, or contaminate with salt, microplastics and excess heat, much of the best remaining habitat for this species. Getting the federal recovery strategy in place is a key step in the process mandated by the federal Species at Risk Act which gives the federal government broad powers, and a legal obligation, to protect this species.
