Dear editor,
With the federal election looming, it is time for all of us to reflect on the current state of our country, and of our communities.
We will soon have the opportunity to choose a government to represent the values of our community, and to work for us to ensure that Canada is open, fair, safe, and has a healthy environment with clean air, water and soil.
This year’s extended drought, severe fire season, endless water restrictions and boil-water advisories underline the need for bold and immediate action on climate change and land use policies.
Our coastal communities rely on a healthy environment to underlie the marine and coastal food webs, from plankton, to salmon to whales, eagles and bears.
I plan to vote because I believe we all have the right to a healthy natural environment, and an open society informed by well-funded federal scientists who are at liberty to inform the public, the media and decision-makers. If Canada is to maintain its rich biological diversity, we need a federal government that has the political will to list species that are at risk, identify their habitat based on science and, most importantly, protect the critical habitat they need to survive and recover. The stakes are high in this election, together we can all get out and vote in record numbers and choose a Canada we believe in!
Kerry Dawson,
Comox