I am not in support of the…

I am not in support of the amalgamation of Conservation Authorities in Ontario. A watershed based approach to the protection of people and property, as well as conservation is most effective because decision-making relies on a knowledge of local waterways. It is very likely that this local knowledge—which Conservation Authorities and municipalities have been accumulating for almost 80 years—will be lost due to the amalgamation. Each Conservation Authority manages a unique watershed, with distinct ecosystems within it, and local knowledge is essential to protect these regions. Protecting ecosystems not only benefits wildlife, but it benefits human activity as well.

Additionally, the rationale for this amalgamation is efficiency; however, I believe that amalgamating Conservation Authorities will actually slow down the process of building and development. This is because it will take longer to collect specific information about a particular region, since Conservation Authorities will be responsible for a much larger region.

I do not think these proposed changes should be made.