Ottawa’s ultimatum to Quebec on caribou is a warning to other provinces, experts say

Experts say provinces were asked to produce plans to protect critical caribou habitat in 2012 but the government has been reluctant to force them to comply.

Federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault‘s ultimatum to the Quebec government on caribou protection is a sign Ottawa is losing patience with provinces that aren’t upholding their responsibility to protect wildlife, experts say.

Rachel Plotkin, a caribou expert with the David Suzuki Foundation, says Guilbeault’s threat to unilaterally create protected habitat in Quebec for declining herds is a “shot across the bow” that shows Ottawa is ready to get tough after years of playing nice.

“As a campaigner who’s been involved in trying to uphold the tools under the Species at Risk Act, I’m very excited to see that a minister looks like they are finally willing to put those tools into play,” she said in a recent interview.

Plotkin says the federal government asked the provinces to produce plans to protect critical caribou habitat in 2012. However, she said, Ottawa has been reluctant to force them to comply, even as the herds have continued to decline because of habitat destruction.

READ MORE: Quebec premier warns Ottawa against unilateral action to protect province’s caribou

“This shows that the federal government is tired of waiting for provinces to do the right thing (and) their patience is being tapped out,” she said.

In a letter dated April 8, Guilbeault gave the Quebec government until April 20 to provide him with its plan to protect the caribou and their habitat. If the plan is deemed insufficient, Guilbeault said he’ll recommend cabinet issue a decree protecting portions of the animals’ habitat on Quebec territory, regardless of the province’s objections.

Speaking Thursday north of Montreal, Guilbeault said that while Ottawa has recently reached an agreement with Alberta regarding a protection plan and is negotiating with British Columbia and Ontario, “unfortunately, there seems to be little will on the part of the Quebec government to find common ground.”