In 2000, in Walkerton, 2000…

In 2000, in Walkerton, 2000 people fell ill, and 7 people died from E. coli poisoning.
The public inquiry investigating the tragic event recommended the introduction of the Ontario Clean Water Act to prevent another needless death in Ontario.
Since then, the conservation authorities across Ontario, which already operate on watershed boundaries, have served as our sentinels, with local water knowledge and expertise, to keep our drinking water safe.
If the Ontario government consolidates the conservation authorities, we will lose critical knowledge and the opportunities to be better stewards of our water. No matter how much effort the government puts in, consolidated authorities will never provide the same amount of protection as the expert local authorities.

This bill completely disregards the primary role of the conservation authorities and only sees them as a hurdle for housing development. If development delays caused by paperwork are an issue, then the process for approving projects should be revised, not the consolidation of the conservation authorities.