The use of multiple…

The use of multiple conservation authorities in Ontario has created massive inequities when land owners have to deal with their respective CA. This is because many CA’s have expanded their activities into areas outside their mandates under assumption they control private property -whereas the Conservation Authorities Act states clearly they do not have authority on private property unless the land owner gives them said authority. The CA act confirms with the Constitutional act 1867 section 109 which limits authority of the Province when it comes to private lands owned fee simple with a pre confederation Crown Grant (land patent) as root of its title.

Secondly ; Many CA’s have become inflicted with social engineering and political action movements in their dealing with landowners to point you see significant differences in treatment of land owners and permit issuances.

This hodgepodge of different enforcements ends up with inequities in how land owners across the province are treated.

An additional problem is most CA’s do not have engineers and environmental experts on staff sufficient to provide appropriate support to the community and as such they demand private land owners to provide and pay for expensive environmental and private engineering studies - which in many cases is unwarranted because common sense indicates the work is not going to have any significant environmental impact.

Consolidation will allow for the CA’s to acquire additional central support staff ( engineers and environmental experts) who can provide better support to all the CA’s while reducing the inequities caused by difference in how each CA conducts its business.

I support the provinces actions to merge the CA’s