December 9, 2022 RE: Bill 23…

December 9, 2022

RE: Bill 23, More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022

I am a retired ecologist with a doctorate in biology. I would like to comment on the shortsightedness of reducing the role of Conservation Authorities in planning for development in Ontario.

I live in the City of Ottawa, which is located along the Ottawa River. We value our river for its beauty, biodiversity and clean water. It is also the source of drinking water for our population. The water in our river comes from an area north of Lake Temiskaming and is subject to water fluctuations during spring snow melt and runoff. In both 2017 and 2019 the river flooded locally in the spring, threatening properties that had long ago been built too close to its shoreline. I and many of my neighbours participated in sandbagging operations in an attempt to hold back the waters from older areas with properties too close to the river. With climate change, this type of event is becoming more common and this will continue to be the case.

Conservation Authorities work to prevent the necessity of such interventions as well as helping to reduce property damage, insurance costs and the health issues that can ensue from contact with contaminated floodwaters in basements, by identifying and protecting floodplains. From a purely residential point of view, they play a huge role in protecting homeowners by providing input into safe areas to build. If your house is not in the floodplain, you do not have to deal with rising river water. If it will be in the floodplain, it should not be built. Conservation Authorities are there to advise.

Conservation authorities also protect important wetlands in our area that are home to a diverse set of species, some of which are at risk. These wetlands provide not only flood mitigation, but also nutrient renewal and retention and wildlife habitat, and they help to protect our drinking water.

Conservation Authorities are valuable resources for both developers and property owners, providing expertise on the suitability of land for development based on long term scientific knowledge. Including them in consultation processes protects both developers and potential homeowners from costly mistakes. Reducing their role is short sighted and only in the interest of greedy and unscrupulous developers, not conscientious ones.

Solutions for increased housing in our area should not include turning a blind eye to the expertise of the Conservation Authorities and the vital role they play in overseeing both a healthy environment and healthy homeowners.

I would like to recommend that the provincial government reconsider the implications of this bill for the health of communities, present and future, that benefit directly from the expertise of the Conservation Authorities. It is important to retain and respect their input before issuing building permits for construction in areas with risks of flooding or where there is important habitat for species at risk.

Building more homes faster should not include putting new homeowners or our wetland flora and fauna at risk.

Please consider amending the bill to remove the restriction of conservation authorities from providing input on development and planning applications, and from appealing planning decisions where justified.