I am concerned about these…

I am concerned about these proposed changes. Ontario’s Conservation Authorities have worked to protect our watersheds and communities for over 80 years. The scale of change proposed here is profound and risks weakening watershed governance and undermining long-term environmental and climate resilience. These risks are not hypothetical; they are well documented in research and in other jurisdictions where similar changes have been made. International experience and research clearly warn that centralization and amalgamation, especially when framed around accelerating development, often lead to ecosystem degradation. Are these the priorities of your constituents?

The Ontario Newsroom announcement for the OPCA notes its purpose is to “help get shovels in the ground faster.” But CAs were created to protect people by protecting watersheds, not to expedite development approvals. OPCA’s mandate appears to shift focus toward sprawl rather than conservation. Is this where Canadian values lie? 

CAs are uniquely effective because they are locally governed, watershed-based bodies that listen to municipalities, scientists, Indigenous partners, and community voices. Under the proposal, many of these local boards would be replaced by very large regional structures, some spanning dozens of municipalities and multiple, distinct watersheds. For example, the proposed Lake Erie Regional CA would amalgamate eight existing CAs and encompass 81 municipalities, making meaningful local representation virtually impossible. How will this benefit CA's and landowners?

Ontario isn't the first to propose consolidation of this kind and there are real-world examples that show the risks of such restructuring. In 2017, New South Wales centralized land-management decisions under their Local Land Services Act, with the intention to reduce red tape. This resulted in a dramatic rise in land clearing. A resent review showed that approvals surged almost immediately, and by 2023 over 66,000 ha of vegetation was cleared. That's a 154% increase from 2017 and a profound increase in habitat and biodiversity loss. Is this what we want for our province?

Extensive research also shows that effective watershed and river-basin management is polycentric, collaborative, and community-based, not highly centralized. The two research papers that I link below both demonstrate that more local engagement and governance that incorporates multiple voices improve ecological outcomes. Don't Ontario’s CAs already embody this model?

For these reasons, the Province should reconsider the proposed consolidation and instead work to strengthen, rather than replace, Ontario’s watershed-based governance system. Be transparent and do what's best for your constituents and Ontario's ecosystems.