Dear sir:
It recently has come to my attention the Ontario government proposes to open a number of parks to hunting. Although such as move does not come as any great surprise, given the appalling environmental record of this government, I am nonetheless outraged.
Growing up in Northwestern Ontario, I have witnessed the steady disappearance of wildlands due to poorly-regulated wood extraction which transformed a once densely-forested landscape into a patchwork of swamps and clearcuts.
Now, within just a few decades, industrial logging has reduced the wilderness to a few fragments left in the supposedly protected confines of our parks system.
I had hoped that the recent “Lands for Life” process would serve to enhance the presently insufficient conservation efforts in Ontario. It was deeply troubling to see this initiative so easily hijacked by industry interests. If anything, the end results were a departure from any sincere efforts in preserving Ontario’s remaining wilderness.
Furthermore, it is readily apparent the new proposal to open these few protected areas to hunting is another sellout meant only to appease interest groups such as the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters and a few tour operators.
Certainly it cannot be interpreted as being of any benefit to the goal of conservation.
Here in Northwestern Ontario, one need not consult a newspaper to know when hunting season has opened. It is easily recognizable by the garbage littering the roadsides and the intrusive noise of off-road vehicles that the hunters have arrived.
The ideal purpose of our parks is to protect pristine examples of the widespread ecosystems which once surrounded them. Within these protected areas, one can appreciate the incredible beauty and diversity of nature free from the destructive elements of society. They serve as a final bastion for wildlife which once flourished across this province, and also as an example that we, as a people, still have respect for the land that nourishes us.
Opening our parks to hunting is in blatant contradiction to every goal of conservation. Perhaps the government of Ontario wishes to pave the way for timber and mineral extraction from our parks, as well?
Isn’t it time the people we elected to protect our interests finally should have the courage and moral fibre to do so rather than acting as the industry puppets they have been all along? Isn’t it time to pause and reflect on the inherent value of wilderness for wilderness’s sake and give what remains of our natural heritage a fighting chance?
Keep our parks sacred–it is a crucial step in the long road to environmental responsibility!
Signed,
Nathan Pelletier
RR1, Stratton, Ont.