To the Environmental…

To the Environmental Registry of Ontario,
As a resident of Burlington and Hamilton for over 30 years, and a long-standing annual member of both the Halton Conservation Authority (HCA) and the Hamilton Conservation Authority, I am writing to express my strong opposition to the proposed consolidation of Ontario’s 36 Conservation Authorities into 7. I fully support and endorse the Hamilton Conservation Authority’s submission in response to this proposal.
I respectfully request that the government provide a clear and detailed justification for the proposed restructuring, and that this information be made publicly available—at minimum to annual Conservation Authority members who are directly impacted.
I visit Hamilton Conservation Authority areas at least once per week, and over the years I have witnessed the effectiveness of local management. These lands are cared for by staff, volunteers, and community members who live in Hamilton and Halton and who possess deep, lived knowledge of the local environment, watershed systems, infrastructure needs, and regional challenges. This localized expertise is essential to responsible conservation management and would, in my view, be significantly diminished if decision-making authority were centralized.
I am also concerned that a consolidated system could lead to inequitable resource distribution. Larger or more politically influential municipalities may receive priority in terms of funding, infrastructure support, and operational focus—mirroring the “squeaky wheel gets the grease” effect. This would be to the detriment of regions like Hamilton and Halton, which have distinct environmental assets that require specialized attention.
These regions are more than general green spaces; they contain unique natural, geological, cultural, and historical features, including:
• Hamilton’s designation as the Waterfall Capital of Ontario
• The Eramosa Karst Conservation Area, a site of significant geological and scientific interest
• Westfield Heritage Village, an important cultural and historical landmark
• Crawford Lake’s meromictic lake and reconstructed Indigenous village, a site of national archaeological importance
• The Raptor Rehabilitation Centre at Mountsberg, which requires specialized expertise and care
Such assets demand management by individuals and organizations with established local knowledge and experience.
For these reasons, I strongly oppose the proposed merger of Conservation Authorities and urge the province to maintain the current structure, which ensures local accountability, responsiveness, and effective environmental stewardship.
Thank you for the opportunity to provide comment.
Sincerely