Attention: Alex McLeod,…

Attention: Alex McLeod, Policy Officer, Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry
Regarding: The proposed regulation that outlines how conservation authorities permit development and other activities for impacts to natural hazards and public safety. Specifically the proposal that seeks to replace Ontario Regulation 97/04 which governs the content of conservation authority regulations under the current Section 28(1) of the Act, as well as all existing conservation authority regulations (O.Reg. 42/06, O.Reg. 146-148, O.Reg. 150-153, O.Reg. 155-172, O.Reg. 174-182, and O.Reg. 319/09).
At the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario (TIAO) we work to ensure that amendments to public policy changes reflect the multifaceted and evolving needs of the tourism industry. As such we lend our official support to the proposed regulatory amendments within the Conservation Authorities Act that aim to make rules for development in hazardous areas more consistent to support faster, more predictable and less costly approvals. We support the governments mandate to cut-red tape by streamlining legislation and ensuring that there is no duplication that requires tourism businesses and operators to seek approval through multiple ministries and levels of government.
Duplication of approvals along with overlapping jurisdictional power between ministries creates an undue burden for scrupulous tourism businesses and operators who must accommodate the administrative burden related to this. Therefore, we support the proposal to consolidate and harmonize the existing 36 individual conservation authority-approved regulations into 1 Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry approved regulation that aims to ensure consistency in requirements across all conservation authorities while still allowing for local flexibility based on differences in risks posed by flooding and other natural hazards.
We lend our official support for the proposal to consolidate and harmonize the conservation authority-approved regulations into 1 Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry approved regulation. However, we expect that the ministry will engage in comprehensive education and enforcement of this regulation to ensure that Ontario is well positioned to respond to flooding and other risks related to the rise of extreme weather.
TIAO is recognized as the voice of the tourism industry of Ontario. TIAO is proud to represent that interests of Ontario’s powerful tourism industry that contributes more than $5 billion annually in tax revenues for the government of Ontario, meaning that the total economic contribution of tourism is larger than agriculture, forestry, and mining combined.
As the recognized voice of our industry, we look forward to continued opportunities to directly consult with the provincial government to support the reduction of red-tape in order to ensure the tourism industry reaches its full potential.
Sincerely,
Beth Potter,
President & CEO
Tourism Industry Association of Ontario