Of the many issues that divided Canadians in the 2019\u00a0federal\u00a0election, one unifying fact is this:\u00a0Canadians care about nature.\u00a0Our vast forests, oceans, lakes and\u00a0prairies are a key part of our heritage and identity. We care because we value and depend on nature. And many of us\u202f\u2014\u202ffrom backyard birdwatchers in Quebec to wader-clad anglers in British Columbia\u2019s Elk River\u202f\u2014\u202fare worried.\u202f Making room for nature should be at the top of our new government\u2019s agenda.<\/p>\n
The natural systems that sustain life on Earth are in deep trouble.<\/p>\n
A landmark\u00a0UN report in May 2019\u00a0<\/a>concluded that 1 million species worldwide are at risk of extinction. Even more recently,\u00a0a study published in\u202fScience<\/em><\/a>\u202f<\/em>estimated 1 in 4 birds in North America has disappeared over the past four decades, which amounts to 3 billion missing birds.<\/p>\n We have the conditions for political action on this crisis.<\/p>\n In 2014, Stephen Harper announced his government<\/a> would protect\u00a017 percent of Canada\u2019s land and fresh water and 10 percent of oceans by 2020 as part of an international pact to conserve nature. Through nationwide efforts, we have seen\u00a0significant progress\u00a0<\/a>toward achieving these goals.<\/p>\n Under Justin Trudeau\u2019s Liberal government, Canada\u00a0achieved and surpassed the marine protection target<\/a> and increased terrestrial protection to about 11 percent<\/a>. In 2018,\u00a0the federal government announced $1.3 billion to create new protected areas<\/a> and species at risk, the biggest nature investment in Canadian history.<\/p>\n Over the course of the 2019 election, the\u00a0Liberals<\/a>, NDP<\/a> and Greens<\/a>\u202fall\u202fannounced\u00a0they want to take the next step: protect at least 30 percent of Canada\u2019s land, freshwater and ocean territory by 2030, with the Liberals setting an interim target of protecting 25 percent by 2025.<\/p>\n The parties are on the right track, and the new government is positioned for continued leadership\u00a0at home and on the world stage. Protected and conserved areas are our most effective policy tools to safeguard habitat. They can also make major contributions to other widely held national goals, including climate change mitigation and adaption, reconciliation with Indigenous\u00a0peoples, supporting rural economies and promoting health and well-being.\u00a0To achieve these goals, support for Indigenous-led conservation must lie at the heart of a Canadian nature agenda.<\/p>\n The public supports action. In April 2019, an\u00a0Abacus Data poll\u00a0<\/a>found 9 out of 10 Canadians either strongly support or support the commitment to protect at least 17 percent of lands and fresh water by 2020, and over two-thirds of Canadians support federal investment in Indigenous protected areas.<\/p>\n We know it can be done.\u202fThanks to the hard work of Indigenous communities, nature groups and government partners, proposals for protecting natural areas throughout the country are waiting for support to help Canada meet its targets. People\u202fare ready to work together to help us get there.<\/p>\n The stage is set. Based on its platform commitments, the new government is poised to usher in the nature protection achievement of a generation.<\/p>\n To realize this opportunity, here are five key priorities that should be reflected in\u00a0ministers\u2019 mandate letters, the Throne Speech and the 2020 federal budget.<\/p>\n This vision is achievable and will resonate deeply with Canadians\u2019 core values, and will rally and unify citizens across regional and partisan lines after a divisive national election.<\/p>\n It\u2019s time to make room for nature.<\/p>\n Photo: Wetlands of the George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary in the Alaksen National Wildlife Area on Westham Island, near Ladner, British Columbia. By Harry Beugelink.<\/span><\/p>\n Do you have something to say about the article you just read? Be part of the\u00a0<\/i>Policy Options\u00a0discussion, and send in your own submission.\u00a0Here is a\u00a0<\/i>link<\/i><\/span><\/a>\u00a0on how to do it. |\u00a0Souhaitez-vous r\u00e9agir \u00e0 cet article ? Joignez-vous aux d\u00e9bats d\u2019<\/i>Options politiques\u00a0et soumettez-nous votre texte en suivant ces\u00a0<\/i>directives<\/i><\/span><\/a>.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Of the many issues that divided Canadians in the 2019\u00a0federal\u00a0election, one unifying fact is this:\u00a0Canadians care about nature.\u00a0Our vast forests, oceans, lakes and\u00a0prairies are a key part of our heritage and identity. We care because we value and depend on nature. And many of us\u202f\u2014\u202ffrom backyard birdwatchers in Quebec to wader-clad anglers in British Columbia\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":276569,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","ep_exclude_from_search":false,"apple_news_api_created_at":"2025-10-08T02:44:26Z","apple_news_api_id":"faef02d1-c780-4034-a91a-d36edf29001d","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2025-10-08T02:44:26Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAD\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/w==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/A-u8C0ceAQDSpGtNu3ykAHQ","apple_news_cover_media_provider":"image","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_cover_video_id":0,"apple_news_cover_video_url":"","apple_news_cover_embedwebvideo_url":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false},"categories":[9361,9372],"tags":[8706,9132],"article-status":[],"irpp-category":[4261],"section":[],"irpp-tag":[],"class_list":["post-267699","issues","type-issues","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-environnement","category-recent-stories-fr","tag-species-at-risk-fr","tag-politique-canadienne","irpp-category-environnement"],"acf":[],"apple_news_notices":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n
\n