Writings to Our Mother (Volume II) | Page 5

The Idea of Using “Biodiversity Offsetting” to Gut Natural Wetlands for Urban Development is Not New in Niagara / Dr. John Bacher Currently those advocating “bio-diversity offsetting”, claim that it is intended to help farmers, not developers. One of the remaining wooded wetland area in Niagara, Ontario. How long will it be spared from destruction for more sprawling development? However, in 2008 this concept was first put forward to assist an urban development proposal in Niagara Falls, Ontario known as “Thundering Waters.” In November 2015, when Ontario’s provincial government had a public consultation on the review of its wetland policy, the only person who spoke in favour of the province changing the rules to permit such offsets was a developer associated with the same project. 5