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The Premier of Ontario, Kathleen Wynne: Save the New World warblers
Priscilla W.
started this petition to
The Premier of Ontario, Kathleen Wynne
The Ontario Government has decided to allow Industrial Wind Turbines (IWTs) to be built at Ostrander Point. This issue has been before a court and or tribunal process three times with the decision reversing itself as many times.
The Government's own Environmental policy has been corrupted as the IWT's were NEVER supposed to be built in an Important Bird Area, which Ostrander Point clearly is, when you consider that millions of birds pass over, and utilize, this area according to a specialized bird radar.
The International Implication of this decision is that some 30 plus species of warblers, including Baltimore Orioles and Scarlet Tanagers, will be doomed when they try to pass through the blades of the IWTs on Ostrander Point.
Almost all are night flying, (putting them at extra risk when they commence landing), neotropical migrants that have wintered primarily in Central and Northern South America, and most are on their way to the boreal forest in Canada where they will nest. One species, the Blackpoll warbler, migrates from its wintering grounds in Brazil, and Bolivia, north to Alaska, Northern Canada, and Newfoundland to nest. Others come from the eastern seaboard of the U.S.A., Mexico and the Caribbean. (Peterson's Field Guide to the Birds has maps and more information on this.)
These birds, must fly across Lake Ontario on the last leg of their journey to find mates, and raise their young before returning south in the autumn. Ostrander point is one of only a few places on Lake Ontario where the birds can actually make the journey - it juts out into the lake giving them the ability to fly that far and survive. Because of the nature of their continuing journey, they must all eventually end up at Ostrander Point even if they have landed initially as far west as Point Petre.
So they arrive at Ostrander Point exhausted, depleted, and needing to rest and refuel to complete their destiny. The building of the IWT's will destroy the habitat they depend on for food and rest, as well as putting them in danger of being slaughtered in the turbine blades.
This is important to all people because it gives us a chance every year to witness the miracle of bird migration - to see them in their mating colours, which mimic the colours of the rainbow, and to see and hear them fluttering and calling to find their mates. And what of the people waiting for these migrants to return 'home'?
Do Ontarians, and the Premier who could stop this madness, want to answer to other Countries whose citizens will be wondering where the birds are? Don't we notice when a species is missing, or rare, in a season as the cardinals are this year?
For scientists there is important scientific data gathered on these birds, and some are banded which is how we know their migration routes.
These migration paths are eons old, ingrained in the warbler's DNA and can't be changed.
The placement of IWTs can, and MUST be changed!
It is unlikely that many, if any, warblers, migratory butterflies, or bats would survive passing through the blades of nine IWTs twice! (Coming here to nest and returning south in the autumn.)
Premier Wynne is the only person who can stop the IWTs from being built, and hence the responsibility for stopping this environmental tragedy rests squarely on her shoulders!
We call on her to stop the building of these nine IWTs immediately! There is no time to lose before the slaughter begins.
The Government's own Environmental policy has been corrupted as the IWT's were NEVER supposed to be built in an Important Bird Area, which Ostrander Point clearly is, when you consider that millions of birds pass over, and utilize, this area according to a specialized bird radar.
The International Implication of this decision is that some 30 plus species of warblers, including Baltimore Orioles and Scarlet Tanagers, will be doomed when they try to pass through the blades of the IWTs on Ostrander Point.
Almost all are night flying, (putting them at extra risk when they commence landing), neotropical migrants that have wintered primarily in Central and Northern South America, and most are on their way to the boreal forest in Canada where they will nest. One species, the Blackpoll warbler, migrates from its wintering grounds in Brazil, and Bolivia, north to Alaska, Northern Canada, and Newfoundland to nest. Others come from the eastern seaboard of the U.S.A., Mexico and the Caribbean. (Peterson's Field Guide to the Birds has maps and more information on this.)
These birds, must fly across Lake Ontario on the last leg of their journey to find mates, and raise their young before returning south in the autumn. Ostrander point is one of only a few places on Lake Ontario where the birds can actually make the journey - it juts out into the lake giving them the ability to fly that far and survive. Because of the nature of their continuing journey, they must all eventually end up at Ostrander Point even if they have landed initially as far west as Point Petre.
So they arrive at Ostrander Point exhausted, depleted, and needing to rest and refuel to complete their destiny. The building of the IWT's will destroy the habitat they depend on for food and rest, as well as putting them in danger of being slaughtered in the turbine blades.
This is important to all people because it gives us a chance every year to witness the miracle of bird migration - to see them in their mating colours, which mimic the colours of the rainbow, and to see and hear them fluttering and calling to find their mates. And what of the people waiting for these migrants to return 'home'?
Do Ontarians, and the Premier who could stop this madness, want to answer to other Countries whose citizens will be wondering where the birds are? Don't we notice when a species is missing, or rare, in a season as the cardinals are this year?
For scientists there is important scientific data gathered on these birds, and some are banded which is how we know their migration routes.
These migration paths are eons old, ingrained in the warbler's DNA and can't be changed.
The placement of IWTs can, and MUST be changed!
It is unlikely that many, if any, warblers, migratory butterflies, or bats would survive passing through the blades of nine IWTs twice! (Coming here to nest and returning south in the autumn.)
Premier Wynne is the only person who can stop the IWTs from being built, and hence the responsibility for stopping this environmental tragedy rests squarely on her shoulders!
We call on her to stop the building of these nine IWTs immediately! There is no time to lose before the slaughter begins.
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