On December 8th of 2020, the implementation of the Ontario Budget Measures Act (Bill 229) was approved by the province, which has had enormous implications for conservation authorities. Under section 28 of schedule 6 of this act, the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing (Steve Clark) is given the power to ignore the science-based decisions made by conservation authorities and force them to produce permits where Minster’s Zoning Orders (MZOs) have been issued in support of commercial development. [1] Therefore, this act effectively eliminates most of the power conservation authorities once had to protect ecologically important sites.

Notably, this change in policy has led to a significant problem within the Durham region; the authorization of a warehouse development project over top ~50% (57 acres) of the Duffins Creek Wetlands! The goal of this petition is to convince Steve Clark to void his MZO, such that the Duffins Creek Wetlands are protected from this proposed development.

What are Wetlands?

Wetlands are naturally occurring areas that are either seasonally or permanently covered by shallow waters, often due to a regionally high water table.

Why is the Duffins Creek Wetlands Worth Protecting?

Duffins Creek is a provincially significant body of coastal wetlands. Coastal wetlands are rare ecosystems that help connect the open waters of the Great Lakes with surrounding watersheds. As a result of this connection, Duffins Creek and other coastal wetlands like it are thought to contribute ~33% of the energy required to sustain wildlife within the Great Lakes! [2]

In addition to this, there are several other ecological and economic benefits associated with protecting these wetlands, including the following:

1. They provide a major source of local biodiversity!
   • Duffins Creek is critically important to several species of fish such as the northern pike, rainbow trout, large and smallmouth bass, yellow perch and more! [3]:11
   • Duffins Creek also provides habitat for a number rare native plant species, as well as insects and birds.
     • Even though wetlands only make up 5% of the Earth’s land surface, they are home to 31% of all plant species! [4]
     • As many as 50% of all avian species in North America rely on wetlands for nesting and/or feeding [4]
2. Wetlands fight against global warming!
   • Duffins Creek is a carbon sink, meaning that it contributes to the sequestration of carbon dioxide; a planet-warming greenhouse gas!
   • Collectively, Earth’s wetlands are thought to sequester as much as 830 million metric tons of carbon dioxide per year [5]
     • By leaving wetlands alone, we are saving the money we would otherwise have to invest into carbon capturing technologies
3. Coastal wetlands reduce the risk of floods!
   • Duffins Creek acts as a natural sponge that holds excess water from precipitation and releases it over slowly over time
     • This is especially important in urban areas where costly infrastructural flood damage is likely to occur due to poor infiltration of rain water through cement.
4. Improve local water quality!
   • As water passes through wetlands, it is slowed down by vegetation causing sediment suspended in the water to fall out and move to the bottom of the wetland floor. [4]
   • Excess nutrients introduced to bodies of water through fertilizer can also be consumed by microorganisms and plants the reside within wetlands [4]
     • This not only helps protect aquatic organisms in the surrounding area but also can save millions of dollars in filtration costs! [4]
5. Recreation!
   • Duffins Creek and many other wetlands like it are a great place for recreational activities such as fishing, bird watching, and photography which provides entertainment and helps fuel the local economy.

If none of these reasons have convinced you that the wetlands are worth saving, take a moment to think of another natural setting you enjoy visiting. By allow this development to take place over Duffins Creek, we are effectively telling our provincial and municipal government that we are okay with similar projects to take place in the future without the support of our conservation authorities.

Take a stand before it is too late and sign this petition to show Minister Steve Clark that we, the citizens of the Durham region, are NOT okay with this development taking place!

References:

1.      Protect, Support and Recover from COVID-19 Act (Budget Measures), 2020. Legislative Assembly of Ontario. (2020). https://www.ola.org/en/legislative-business/bills/parliament-42/session-1/bill-229

2.      Brazner, J. C., Sierszen, M. E., Keough, J. R., & Tanner, D. K. (2000). Assessing the ecological importance of coastal wetlands in a large lake context. SIL Proceedings, 27(4), 1950–1961. https://doi.org/10.1080/03680770.1998.11901583

3.      Duffins Creek: State of the Watershed Report. (2002, June). Retrieved February 12, 2021, from http://trca.on.ca/dotAsset/37465.pdf

4.      Economic Benefits of Wetlands. (2006, May). Retrieved February 12, 2021, from https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2021-01/documents/economic_benefits_of_wetlands.pdf

5.      Mitsch, W. J., Nahlik, A. M., Bernal, B., Mander, Ü., Zhang, L., Anderson, C. J., … Brix, H. (2013). Wetlands, carbon, and climate change. Landscape Ecology, 28(4), 583–597. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-012-9758-8