I oppose Bill 68 and the…

I oppose Bill 68 and the amalgamation of the Conservation Autorities because it will weaken local oversight, reduce hands-on environmental knowledge, and move decisions away from the communities most affected by flooding, habitat loss, and development.

Under the new plan, distinct and ecologically diverse watersheds would be merged into vast administrative regions. For example, the proposed region, including the Grand River, would extend to Windsor and cover 81 municipalities. Some of the new regions would be larger than entire countries. These regions would be overseen by political appointees in Toronto, removing authority from the communities most directly impacted.

I am quite convinced that excellent programs such as SNAP to protect and enhance Fairy Lake and the Black Cr. watershed on Halton Hills will be dropped.

Conservation Authorities were created because we learned, often the hard way, what happens when we don’t protect the provinces’ watersheds and ecosystems. Weakening these protections now makes Ontario more vulnerable, not more efficient.