Moving forward with this…

Moving forward with this bill is not an effective use of taxpayer dollars. As a resident of South Huron, and originally from Perth South, my concern is the voice of small municipalities of what they would like to see happen would not be heard. In the Lake Erie Regional Model, you have multiple larger municipalities and cities that smaller municipalities will have to compete with in order to get a word in.

I am also concerned about keeping conservation local and keeping the professional knowledge and expertise local. The 36 conservation authorities in Ontario all have their unique watersheds to their area. Merging these areas together could potentially mean that if I am looking for a permit or to complete a restoration project on my property, I may not be working with someone that knows the watershed well, if at all.

I am disappointed to hear that the government is willing to do this to push for more development, putting not only conservation and the environment at risk, but also putting Ontario residents at risk. Building in a hazard flooding area to get more homes in Ontario, should not take priority of protecting not only these ecosystems, but the residents that could potentially be moving into these developments.