To whom it may concern: I am…

To whom it may concern:

I am deeply concerned by the proposed changes to the municipal class EA requirements. On a personal note, I feel that we should be doing MORE to ensure that environmental concerns are being addressed prior to development. Revoking some of the requirements in the EA process feels like a giant step backward - something we can not afford at a time like this.

On a professional level, I am a trained archaeologist, working in the cultural resource management industry. We already watch many developments occur without proper archaeological assessments, and it is disheartening to see significant cultural and archaeological resources disappear from our record. This new regulation would cause many more important archaeological sites to be lost. Ontario's archaeological record and history benefit greatly from the studies produced as part of these municipal class EAs. These assessments, when undertaken with consultation from Indigenous communities, also contribute greatly to our reconciliation efforts, and our knowledge of Ontario's first peoples.

I would urge the government to leave the current MCEA requirements in place.