Mount Nemo and Jefferson Salamanders at risk from Bill 5

In case you missed it, there’s been some rather (heart)breaking news for our friends Jeff & Sally. A little over a week ago, the Provincial government introduced Bill 5 “Protecting Ontario by Unleashing Our Economy Act, 2025". Legislation that as Ecojustice so soberingly remarked, “slashes reulatory oversight, silences local voices, and opens the floodgates to unckeced mining and industrial development.”

Much to everyone’s alarm, Schedule 10 of this new Act would repeal the Ontario Endangered Species Act as we know it. You can read more about Bill 5 here, but as you can imagine, it’s pretty disheartening news for our beloved endangered species, the Jefferson salamander. It’s also not the kind of news people who care about Mount Nemo want to hear, either.

Nicole Hepburn, a local mom and longtime Burlington resident, shared a powerful letter to Premier Doug Ford and Michael McSweeney. She and her three kids wrote a message from the heart about what it’s like to raise a family, and be a family, next to the quarry on Mount Nemo—and how devastating the impacts of the quarry expansion and Bill 5 will be on not just their home, but the environment and ecosystem of the Jefferson Salamander.

RGMC Co-chair Sarah Harmer just published an important opinion article spotlighting how Bill 5 threatens our environment and the very fabric of our communities. Please give it a read and share it widely! Check it out at the Hamilton Spectator here and on the RGMC website here.

In an effort to continue the momentum, show support and further our collective work and advocacy, we encourage you to join Nicole, her children and Sarah Harmer in amplifying this action to Doug Ford to do better for the community. He said, “If the community and the mayor don’t want it, neither do I”. Well, we don’t want it. So, let’s tell him!

 What can you do?

1) Write your own letter – Just like Nicole did, you can share your story with Premier Ford (doug.fordco@pc.ola.org AND Premier@ontario.ca), Michael McSweeney (mike@ossga.com ) and your local MPP. Every message adds weight. Once you send your letter, reshare it across your social media channels with the hashtags: #StandWithSalamanders #StopBill5. For those of you who live more of your lives offline, call your friends and tell them about it!

2) Share our community colouring pages – These pages help spark conversations at home and online. Get kids involved, get creative, and help spread awareness with a message of protection and hope. You can find the colouring pages here.

3) Reshare Sarah’s article in the Hamilton Spectator – It’s so important to not let the threat of Bill 5 go unnoticed! Share with friends and family, both online and offline.