Silo Mentalities: Environmental Assessments North of the AOU

In 2007, the ECO undertook an extensive analysis of the environmental implications of various land use policies and allocation decisions in Ontario’s northern boreal landscape. The following articles are included: Developing priorities: The challenge of creating a sustainable planning system in Northern Ontario
The North: A Region of Continental Ecological Importance Silo Mentalities: Environmental Assessments North of the AOU Land Use Planning in the Northern Boreal Initiative Forestry and Wood Supply Silo Mentalities: Transmission Lines through the North MNDM's Mineral Development Strategy for Ontario	Silo Mentalities: Protected Areas and Mining – Lessons Learned? Duty to Consult with First Nations Breaking down silos in the North Precautionary approach to land use planning A clean slate for land use planning in the North

MOE believes that existing Environmental Assessment Act coverage is sufficient to address concerns regarding development in northern Ontario. However, the existing environmental assessment processes typically function in isolation from one another, failing to ensure sufficient environmental oversight or protection. Moreover, many of the individual environmental assessment processes are themselves inadequate. For example, MNDM has an interim Declaration Order allowing it to dispose of Crown resources, such as issuing mining licences and administering the Mining Act, without being required to conduct individual environmental assessments. Originally approved as a one-year interim order in 2003, it has twice been extended and now expires in June of 2008. It is not reassuring that MOE has repeatedly extended this interim Declaration Order based on MNDM’s failure to prepare the required class EA.

It appears that MOE has chosen to limit its role in the north as being the administrator of the EAA. The ECO believes that MOE’s mandate calls for a more proactive approach to environmental protection. Indeed, the core component of the ministry’s strategic vision is to ensure “ecological protection and sustainable development for present and future generations.” The ECO believes that this vision applies to the boreal forest and northern Ontario beyond simply having the ministry function as an approvals body on a case-by-case basis.

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This is an article from the 2006/07 Annual Report to the Legislature from the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario. Table of Contents Information on the official document and its release.

Citing This Article:
Environmental Commissioner of Ontario. 2007. "Developing Priorities: The Challenge of Creating a Sustainable Planning System in Northern Ontario." Reconciling our Priorities, ECO Annual Report, 2006-07. Toronto, ON : Environmental Commissioner of Ontario. 59.