The proposal to amalgamate…

The proposal to amalgamate Ontario’s 36 conservation authorities into just 7 is a terrible idea. For more than 70 years, Ontario has had one of the most effective flood forecasting and warning systems in North America, specifically because conservation authorities operate at the watershed level, not oversized political or administrative boundaries. Localized monitoring, boots-on-the-ground expertise, and deep knowledge of each watershed’s unique hydrology are the reasons flood damage has been drastically reduced across the province.

Shrinking 36 authorities into 7 will erase that precision. It risks slower responses, weaker real-time data collection, and the loss of decades of local technical knowledge that municipalities depend on for land-use planning, emergency preparedness, and public safety. Flooding is becoming more frequent and more severe with climate change; this is the worst possible time to create larger bureaucracies and fewer experts.

Ontario’s conservation authorities are a proven success story. They save lives, prevent enormous economic losses, and protect communities every year. Undermining a system with a 70-year track record of excellence isn’t modernization, it’s unnecessary risk.