I’d like to welcome the Invasive Species Centre and partner organizations attending Queen’s Park for their annual advocacy day—Kyle Borrowman, Terry Rees, Andrea Klymko, Bob Lambe, Mark Ryckman, Belinda Junkin. I invite everyone to attend their reception this evening in room 228.

Invasive species are a growing concern to Ontario’s biodiversity. Last year, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry said, “It’s likely that there are small numbers of wild pigs scattered across southern, central and eastern Ontario.” Invasive species like these put our ecosystem and agricultural sector at serious risk.

In my community, media reported that wild pigs were spotted in Grey-Bruce last year, raising concerns about the damage they could inflict on crops and farmland. The cost of wild pig damage to agriculture and the environment can be extensive and costly.

Speaker, my question to the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry: What is our government doing to stop the spread of invasive species in Ontario?

Speaker, I thank the minister for that answer.

We know invasive species do not respect borders and the strategies to prevent invasive species differ significantly across jurisdictions. Invasive species cause biodiversity loss and negative impacts on forestry, tourism, recreation and agriculture. The cost and consequences of delay and inaction are immeasurable and far-reaching. We must ensure that our government’s actions are both reactive and proactive when addressing this issue head-on.

Speaker, what is our government doing to partner with other jurisdictions and agencies in order to protect Ontario’s agriculture and the environment from invasive species?

Thanks to the member from Bruce–Grey–Owen Sound for that important question.

Preserving Ontario’s tremendous biodiversity is a key responsibility for my ministry—a responsibility that includes protecting our lands and waters from invasive species. We’re making investments to prevent, detect and respond to the threat of invasive species in Ontario. Our investments are aimed at offsetting the significant social, economic and ecological damage done by invasive species—impacts estimated at more than $3.5 billion each year.

We’ve made significant progress in preventing invasive wild pigs from establishing themselves in Ontario. Wild pigs are now regulated under the Invasive Species Act, and my ministry completed our wild pig strategy in 2021.

We also have the valuable resources and support provided by the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. I want to thank the minister for their work on this file as we continue to work together to tackle this important issue.

By investing now to prevent and manage invasive species, we’re protecting our natural resources, mitigating damage to our economy, and preventing future costs.

We work collaboratively with organizations and experts dedicated to protecting our province from harmful invaders. By sharing our knowledge and resources, we can strengthen our mutual efforts in the fight to safeguard Ontario from this threat.

A perfect illustration of the teamwork needed to control invasive species is our efforts to manage phragmites in Ontario. The fight against phragmites, which we all know well, has involved participation from all levels of government, academia, the Nature Conservancy of Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service, and more than 25 conservation organizations. We’re working with the Green Shovels Collaborative to plan for broader management of phragmites in Ontario. The work undertaken by the collaborative will help guide our control activities for this damaging species.

And since invasive species don’t recognize international or provincial borders, my ministry does continue to work closely with our Canadian and US federal, provincial, territorial and state counterparts to address these threats to our shared waters and natural environment.