This consolidation needs to…

This consolidation needs to be reviewed further and needs to include more regions than proposed if it will continue through. Ontario is a vast province with different needs based on the terrain and the population density. While pushing through the consolidation may be beneficial for certain reasons (ex. less red tape to build houses in Ontario), it will cause more issues for the province and the provincial government long-term. Right now, there are experts that run the conservation authorities and the operations that are required to keep them running safe, and with the uncertainty of consolidation, many will choose to leave the profession, risking the knowledge and expertise that is currently keeping the communities safe.

Another reason why the consolidation should not be occurring is due to the lack of funding from the current provincial government. One example is with Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA). In the 2025 budget, GRCA released the actual numbers for revenue and funding. In these numbers, it stated that $24 770 020 came from self-generated revenue, whereas only $3 137 395 came from all forms of provincial funding. If the provincial government provided more funding toward conservation authorities, they would not be facing the issues that the provincial government has provided as reasons for the consolidation. It also is difficult to understand how the government can make such drastic changes given the fact that they only provide about 7.5% of all funding for the conservation authority.

Finally, the consolidation will cause less donations and funding from outside resources. Part of the reason many people donate to their local conservation authorities is because they have positive experiences going to, or working at, those conservation authorities. If they are consolidated, many people (including majority of people I talk with) will be withdrawing their donations and funding, as they will no longer feel it is local.