Environmentalists pin hopes on tiny fish to stop Highway 413

Construction of Highway 413 is set to begin in the Greater Toronto Area next year but environmental groups say they hopea tiny fish will get in the way of the province's plans.

A member of the minnow family, the Redside daceis considered endangered in Ontario. The fish, which grows to about 12 centimetres long, has red and yellow stripes on its body and is facing "imminent extinction or extirpation," according the province.

Environmentalist groups say the fish's habitat largely overlaps with the new highway's route.Highway 413, which crosses northern and western parts of the GTA, will link Peel, York and Haltonregions.

The fish isfound in a few tributaries of Lake Huron, in streams flowing into western Lake Ontario, the Holland River thatflows into Lake Simcoeand Irvine Creek of the Grand River system thatflows into Lake Erie, according to the province.

According to the federal government, the fish has been federally protected since 2017when it was listed as an endangered species under the federal Species at Risk Act. But this summer, anew "recovery strategy and action plan"went into effect tostrengthenthe protection of the habitat considered essential for the fish's survival.

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Rachel Jones, spokesperson for Fisheries and Oceans Canada, said in email Fridaythe federal government has until late Januaryto issue a formal protection order for the habitat of the Redside dace.

"While the critical habitat identified in the recovery strategy and action plan is already protected under Ontario's Endangered Species Act (ESA), further federal protections for these habitats will take effect once a ministerial order is published in Canada Gazette II, expected within 180 days of the final plan's posting," Jones said in the email.

The fish isn't the only animal identified as being at risk if the highway is built. Consultants working for Ontario'sMinistry of Transportation haveidentifiedthe chorus frogalong the route of the proposed highway, whichis listed asthreatenedonCanada's official registry of species at risk.

Tony Morris, conservation policy and campaigns director at Ontario Nature, an environmental conservation charity, saidthe federal government is legally obligated through its legislation to do something to protect the fish.

"The recovery strategy identifies those streams in Ontario that are critical habitat. It is a bit of a game changer," he said.

Morris said people should be concerned about any species at risk because itrepresents a "canary in the coal mine."

"When species like Redside dace are lost from the ecosystem, it means that other things are unhealthy with the aquatic environment and the surrounding environment, potentially impacting other species that may depend on them for food," Morrissaid.

"You see a cascading effect on ecosystems whenever a particular species is lost. The presence of the Redsidedace, where they still exist within the Greater Toronto Area, means a relatively healthy environment, which is what we should all want."

Formal protection order 'encouraging sign,' lawyer says

Phil Pothen, a lawyer and the Ontario environment program manager at Environmental Defence, told CBC Radio's Metro Morning this weekthe impending federal formal protection order gives him hope and is an "encouraging sign" that the project can be stopped.

"We are optimistic that this recognition, this final implementation of overdue habitat protection, is in fact an indication that the federal government intends to slam the brakes on 413," Pothen said.

Pothen said the fish's habitat and proposed highway's route overlap, and paving nearby land and altering stream flows are specifically mentioned in the federal strategy as likely to destroy its habitat.

He said hebelieves afederal environmental impact assessmentis still necessary.

Last year, the provincial and federal governments signed a memorandum of understanding on the highway, with the federal government setting aside an environmental impact assessment. But the agreement specifies the Species at Risk Act still applies.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said on Aug. 16 the province will get "shovels in the ground" for Highway 413 next year.

Gridlock means highway needed, official says

Dakota Brasier, press secretary for Ontario Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria, said the province is taking steps to lessen environmental impacts of the highway.

"Ontario's environmental assessment is among the most stringent assessment processes on record. As we continue to work with experts in the field, the federal government and other regulatory agencies we will further develop refinements and mitigation strategies to minimize project impacts to endangered species," Brasier said.

Brasier said a joint working group was formed following the signing of the memorandum of understanding and has already met three times. It includesrepresentatives from both levels of government and "will help identify and recommend appropriate measures to avoid or minimize environmental impacts in areas of federal jurisdiction."

The highway is needed, Brasier added.

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"Our province is in the middle of a period of unprecedented growth, with gridlock costing our economy upwards of $11 billion every year and we need our infrastructure to keep up. It's never been more important to build roads, bridgesand highways that drivers rely on," Brasier said.

On a webpage about the species,the provincesays: "Habitat loss and degradation caused by urban and agricultural development are the most significant threats to Redside dace."