Pelee Island and the ESA

Pelee Island
and the ESA
George Paisiovich
Stakeholder Relations
And in the Beginning … 1993
Pelee Island Snake Funders
Eco Action (Environment Canada)
Shell Environmental Fund
TD Friends of the Environment Foundation
World Wildlife Fund Canada
Nature Conservancy Canada
International Fund for Animal Welfare
Canadian Amphibian and Reptile Conservation
Network
8. Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk
9. Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources
10. Toronto Friends of Pelee Island
11. Federation of Ontario Naturalists
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Endangered Species Act
– Time for some common sense
Official Plan rejected by
Municipal Affairs
Westside Investment Plan
Collapsed
American Ferry Service
working against island
tourism
Over 500 Anti-MNR signs
sold on island with only 246
residents
Ten people die in 2004
winter plane crash leading to
winter travel confidence
crisis
Major drainage upgrades
needed for island which is
below lake level
2005
PELEE ISLAND
Boiled Water Advisory in 5th
year with
$30,000 Fine
Island population decreasing
40% in five years
Charges laid under the ESA
Exploration of MAH taking
over administration
Pheasant and turkey hunts
down 50% in two years due
to passport requirements
Coop store needing $1
million to be up to code or
face closure
Meanwhile …
over at the island quarry
Coincidence perhaps, but at
the same time…
Property Boundary
In three years we went from
seemingly overwhelming
challenges …
Official Plan rejected by
Municipal Affairs
Over 500 Anti-MNR
signs sold on island with
only 246 residents
Island population
decreasing 40% in five
years
Charges laid under the
ESA
Westside Investment
Plan Collapsed
American Ferry Service
working against island
tourism
2005
PELEE ISLAND
Exploration of MAH
taking over
administration
Pheasant and turkey
hunts down 50% in two
years due to passport
requirements
Ten people die in 2004
winter plane crash
leading to winter travel
confidence crisis
Major drainage upgrades
needed for island which
is below lake level
Boiled Water Advisory
in 5th year with
$30,000 Fine
Coop store needing $1
million to be up to code
or face closure
Endangered Species Act – 2007
Transition 58. (1)
The Minister may issue a permit to a person that, with
respect to the following species, authorizes the person
to engage in an activity specified in
the permit on Pelee Island that would otherwise be
prohibited by section 5 of the Endangered Species
Act:
Some things we learned
along the way …
Conservation
Enforcement
Officer
Clerk
MNR
District
Manager
MPP
Mayor
We Asked
…
“How Can
We Share
This
Island?”
5?
4?
Red
Cedar
3
1
2
MNR
Quarry
Inspector
Quarry
Planner
MNR
District
Manager
Conservation
Authority
Enforcement
Officer
Nature
Conservancy
MNR
Supervisor
Quarry
Owner
Quarry
Owner
Assistant
Deputy
Minister
Nature
Conservancy
of Canada
Island
Environment
Leader
District
Manager
“It is very easy to be self-righteous
when you are fighting.
“We’re right, they’re wrong,
- and they’re bastards”.
It’s a big shift
for a lot of environmental groups
and people —including me—to say,
“You and I are told we
must choose between a
left or right, but I suggest
there is no such thing as a
left or right. There is only
an up or down.”
“Look, we’ve got to engage
in dialogue.
We’re not going to make it
by ourselves.”
“I have always believed
that a lot of the trouble in
the world would
disappear if we were
talking to each other,
instead of about each
other.”
David Suzuki
Ronald Reagan
MNR
Chatham
Office

Councilor
Ontario VP Nature
Conservancy Canada
Councilor
Councilor
Member of
Provincial
Parliament
Mayor
MNR
Minister
Ramsey
MNR District
Manager
Conservation
Authority
Manager
Councilor
Ontario
Parks
Manager
Pelee Island and ESA 2007
CanWEA
February 24, 2016
Pelee was a microcosm of a lot of the policy
tensions that were going on related to
endangered species in the province.
Everyone said look at the situation on Pelee.
That's the situation we have to address.
If we can't resolve Pelee, then how the hell are
we going to do this on a provincial basis?”
Environmental Commissioner of Ontario,
Gord Miller, 2008
Some final thoughts …
Former Regional Dir
Ray Bonenberg
Current District
Manager
Mitch Wilson
Interim District
Manager
Craig Selby
Originating
District
Manager
Alec Deny
Appreciation Dinner 2010
Originating Mayor
Bill Krestel
Thank You
George Paisiovich
Stakeholder Relations