#On behalf of the Mazinaw…

#On behalf of the Mazinaw Property Owners’ Association, we are writing to register our strong objection to the proposal to fold the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority (MVCA) into a new St. Lawrence Regional Conservation Authority.

Our association represents property owners on Mazinaw Lake in the townships of North Frontenac and Addington Highlands. As taxpayers, we support sensible efficiencies where they genuinely reduce costs without weakening environmental protection. However, reducing Ontario’s conservation authorities from 36 to only 7 is a scale of amalgamation that we believe will undermine—not improve—the stewardship of our watershed.

The MVCA’s existing structure, in which it collaborates closely with and receives funding from the municipalities within the Mississippi and Carp watersheds, functions exceptionally well. Its staff understand the geography, pressures, and priorities unique to our region. Combining these watersheds with the far larger St. Lawrence Seaway region risks diluting this focus and diminishing the effectiveness of local watershed management.

Mazinaw property owners currently have a clear and direct voice through the MVCA’s established relationships with North Frontenac Township and through the constructive working relationships our association has built with MVCA staff. These local connections ensure that issues affecting our lake and surrounding lands are understood by people who live and work within the watershed itself. We are very concerned that such responsiveness will be lost within a much larger, more centralized authority with broader and competing priorities.

Weakening the link between local communities and the body responsible for managing their watershed will ultimately harm both residents and the ecological health of our lakes and rivers.

We respectfully ask the Province to reconsider this approach and maintain a system that keeps decision-making close to the watersheds it governs. The Mississippi and Carp watersheds are distinct, sensitive, and deserving of protection guided by local knowledge and local accountability.

Thank you for taking the time to consider our concerns

Sincerely,
The MPOA Board