The following comments are…

The following comments are submitted on behalf of the Nith Valley EcoBoosters, a volunteer organization that has served the communities of Wilmot and Wellesley Townships for more than ten years. Our mandate is to support and encourage a healthy environment through action, education, and collaboration. Because of our long-standing commitment to environmental stewardship, we are deeply
concerned about the Provincial Government's proposed changes to Ontario’s conservation authority system under Bill 68.

Bill 68 would merge Ontario’s 36 conservation authorities into seven large regional bodies
governed by a new provincial agency controlled by Queen’s Park. This restructuring would
significantly weaken local oversight and undermine the ability of communities to protect their
watersheds.

For our region, the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) has been an essential partner
in safeguarding the Nith River watershed, which feeds into the Grand River. Their local
expertise, scientific knowledge, and long-standing relationships with municipalities, farmers, and
residents have been critical to managing flood risks, protecting drinking water, and guiding safe
development.

We are concerned that Bill 68 will:
- Strip away local knowledge that is vital to understanding watershed behaviour, floodplains,
groundwater systems, and ecological risks.
- Weaken environmental oversight at a time when climate change is intensifying floods, fires,
erosion, and extreme weather.
- Give more power to developers while reducing meaningful accountability and public input.
- Dismantle decades of scientific research and community partnerships built by conservation
authorities.
- Remove control from the municipalities and residents who fund and rely on these authorities.
- Shift planning decisions to “provincial interests,” ignoring the purpose of conservation
authorities—to reflect local needs based on local conditions.

These concerns are echoed widely. The Association of Municipalities of Ontario warns that the
plan weakens the voices of local elected officials and lacks the robust consultation required for
such major changes. The Auditor General has found that the province often ignores municipal
and public input, and that many proposals—including Bill 68—failed to explain environmental
impacts or follow Ontario’s Environmental Bill of Rights.

Experts in watershed management emphasize that conservation authorities are not barriers to
development. They prevent costly mistakes by mapping hazards and ensuring that growth is
safe and sustainable. If the province seeks faster approvals, the solution is to provide
conservation authorities with adequate resources—not dismantle a system that has protected
Ontario communities since 1946.

Every watershed is unique. Merging authorities across vast regions risks creating a distant, less
responsive bureaucracy that could slow approvals, increase confusion, and ultimately
undermine public safety. There is also a real risk that municipal tax dollars will be spent under
provincial direction without local oversight.

For Wilmot and Wellesley Townships, the stakes are high. The Nith River watershed is central to
our environmental health, our drinking water, our agricultural community, and our resilience to
climate change. We cannot afford to lose the local expertise and accountability that the GRCA
provides.

We urge you to oppose Bill 68 and to advocate for meaningful consultation with municipalities,
conservation authorities, and the public. Ontario needs strong, locally informed watershed
management—not centralized control that prioritizes development over community safety and
environmental protection.

We respectfully request that the Government of Ontario repeal Bill 68. At a minimum, we urge
you to pause the implementation of the proposed Ontario Provincial Conservation Agency until
a full, transparent consultation process has taken place.
This consultation should meaningfully involve:
- Municipal governments,
- Existing Conservation Authorities, and
- The public and community stakeholders who rely on effective watershed management.

Thank you for your attention to this critical issue.

Linda Lackey
Communications Working Group
on behalf of the
Nith Valley EcoBoosters
nvecoboosters@gmail.com
https://nvecoboosters.com/