Today, the turtle hatchlings of Grenadier Pond, in High Park, downtown Toronto, risk being trodden underfoot by passersby before they ever make it to adulthood. It’s a fragile existence, says Carolynne Crawley, co-founder of Turtle Protectors from Mi’kma’ki territory, “imagine if their habitat [was] reduced or destroyed.”
A new bill that passed through the Ontario legislature in early June could threaten to do just that. The government says the sweeping legislation, the Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, will spur economic growth by speeding up permitting for mining and other development projects, while still maintaining protection for endangered species. But conservation activists and Indigenous peoples say those protections are now in name only, because they ignore the habitats, ranges, feeding grounds and migration routes crucial to the recovery of dwindling species.
The new act was tabled as a response to tariffs from the U.S. It could open up Canadian mining to growing world demand. Energy and Mines Minister Stephen Lecce says the country’s critical minerals are a valuable asset to ensure Canada’s economic development in unpredictable market conditions and financial volatility. But opponents say it comes at the cost of the province’s approximately 270 endangered species. And not all those species roam remote wilderness. In this feature story, reporter Mia Johnson accompanies activist Crawley, to look for turtle hatchlings and understand how the act could put them in jeopardy.