The endangered Redside Dace: wildlife doesn’t matter when Big Wind comes along

(C) Metro Toronto Zoo

In an interesting juxtaposition of events, the Metro Toronto Zoo has a program to protect a little fish in Ontario, the endangered Redside Dace, by conserving its habitat in the Toronto area Rouge River, but the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, and the Ontario Ministry of the Environment are doing nothing whatever to protect the same fish in West Grey, where U.S.-based wind power developer NextEra is already at work on a wind power project.

The Ministry of the Environment actually has a taxpayer-funded “Recovery Strategy” for the little fish, which apparently doesn’t include standing up to a wind power developer.

But Ontario citizens are not letting this go: a West Grey community group called D.A.C.E.S. or, Dufferin Area Citizens for Endangered Species, are going to court this week to request a Judicial Review of the power project approval process which, they say, acknowledges the existence of the Endangered Species habitat, but which is allowing the power project to go ahead anyway.

Does legislation in Ontario mean nothing against Big Wind?

How can something that is (falsely) promoted as being “good” for the environment, be allowed to proceed when there is clear danger to the natural environment?

For more information on this project, on the court fight, and to donate to the struggle to protect Ontario’s environment against the Ministry of the Environment and Big Wind, go to: howgreenisthis.org

If you are in the area, or know someone who is, think about showing your support this Thursday morning: Brampton Courthouse, 7755 Hurontario Street, Brampton. Court begins at 10 a.m.