To the Premier: This is a critical time of the year when Ontario’s conservation officers are hard at work to deter unsafe hunting practices and protect wildlife. Conservation officers also investigate gruesome injuries and deaths that result from tragic hunting-related accidents, and they are responsible for laying charges in cases of careless hunting. They are working in some of Ontario’s most isolated locations, with limited access to support and assistance from other enforcement agencies. But conservation officers are not classified properly or compensated fairly for the work they do, causing low morale and a retention crisis.

My question: When will this government acknowledge the duties that conservation officers undertake and commit to reclassify them accordingly?

At this time of year, especially during hunting season, conservation officers play an incredibly important role in the protection and management of Ontario’s natural resources, to ensure that residents and visitors to Ontario can safely enjoy the province’s natural resources for generations to come.

Conservation officers connect with over 200,000 natural resource users from over 50 locations across the province annually.

We heard from our partners that we need more boots on the ground. In response, we’ve fulfilled our promise to create 25 new conservation officer positions, and that brings the total number of conservation officer positions to over 200 here in the province of Ontario.

During that posting, the ministry received and reviewed nearly 4,000 applications for these highly sought-after positions.

Conservation officers are the front line, safeguarding our natural heritage. This important work has been ongoing in Ontario for 130 years and will continue. We will continue to support it, and they will continue to protect our important natural resources.

We are, of course, aware that OPSEU and the employer are working on a classification review. I’m actually quite confused by the idea that the NDP would support government interference in that process. I also understand that the director of our enforcement branch is part of the committee designed to review this classification. They will make sure that the work, the skills, the importance of the conservation officers are specifically addressed during this review. This government responded by creating new positions to support these officers, and we will continue to value the work of our conservation officers and the continued effort to support them in any way we can.

I’m hearing a lot of lip service from the government side. In the meantime, morale continues to decline because experienced conservation officers are leaving the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry to take jobs where their pay actually matches their training and experience.

Conservation officers are paid up to $31,000 less than OPP officers, despite being held to the same standards of training; they have the same levels of risk and the responsibility to carry sidearms. With a stroke of the pen, the government could provide the reclassification of these workers that these workers have long deserved.

Will this government recognize that the training and duties of conservation officers far exceed their compensation and commit to reclassification?