Regarding the proposed…

Regarding the proposed change to the number of Conservation Authorities:

· Central to the establishment of CAs was the recognition that they embody local needs and be led by local voices. The proposed amalgamation completely contradicts this principle by concentrating decision-making power in the hands of the province rather than local experts. Specifically, the legislative changes proposed in Bill 68 would allow the Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks to impose directions regarding the new regional conservation authorities’ governance, programs or services at the Minister’s discretion.

· Even if decision-making processes for the seven proposed regional conservation authorities were allowed to proceed independently, the proposed boundaries are far too sprawling to enable locally relevant decision-making. For example, combining Lakehead Region Conservation Authority on the north shore of Lake Superior with authorities south of Lake Huron ignores the completely different ecology, hydrology and climates of these regions. It is unclear from the proposal and legislative amendments how this consolidation can possibly accelerate decision-making when the amalgamated authorities will need to serve dozens of municipalities with unique local needs and span watersheds with distinctly different environmental conditions.

· Decision-makers will no longer be part of local communities resulting in incredibly important local knowledge being excluded from key decisions, leaving communities more exposed to the devastating impacts of flooding and broader environmental losses. Flooding is the costliest natural hazard in Ontario and is expected to become an even greater threat in the coming years. This is a change communities cannot afford.