I am strongly opposed to the…

I am strongly opposed to the amalgamation of regional conservation authorities. There are numerous reasons for this:

-amalgamated authorities are much less likely to hold specialised knowledge about the unique character of the many conservation areas in Ontario. This will make them much less effective at making evidence-based and scientifically supported decisions that are in the best interests of the environment and, by extension, climate health (which directly affects our health!).

-amalgamated authorities are much more likely to be overly bureaucratic, cumbersome and slow to respond, which will make them much less able to respond to critical issues in a timely fashion. As well, the increased bureaucracy will create an obstacle to citizen involvement.

-this process has been started and pushed through with a shocking lack of transparency, opportunities for response and community engagement. As citizens and voters, we are stakeholders in the decisions made about our communities, governing bodies and our environment. This is yet another example of the Ford government trying to push through legislation that services financial gain at the expense of transparency, due process and democracy, communication with the community and respect for our environment. It also seems to me that this is likely the first step in the Ford government trying to do an end run around the protections for the Niagara Escarpment that they tried to forcibly undermine a few years ago. They were held to account for the promises Premier Ford made about protecting the Escarpment. I expect that this new move will, among other things, seek to undermine critical environmental protections by weakening the voice and influence of local Conservation Authorities.