At the Regular Council…

At the Regular Council Meeting on December 8, 2025, the Council of the Municipality of Thames Centre adopted the following Resolution:

Resolution: 418-2025
Moved by: S. McMillan
Seconded by: D. Lockie

WHEREAS the Conservation Authorities Act (1946) enables municipalities to establish local conservation authorities, and when municipalities choose to form such authorities, they assume responsibility for governance and funding through the appointment of a Board of Directors and the provision of an annual levy to cover expenses;

AND WHEREAS the Municipality of Thames Centre established the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority ( initially formed in 1947) and Kettle Creek Conservation Authority (initially formed in 1965);

AND WHEREAS local municipalities currently provide over 30% of total conservation authority funding, while the Province of Ontario provides approximately 2% (2025 budget);

AND WHEREAS municipalities have governed their respective conservation authorities for decades, tailoring programs and services to local watershed needs, maintaining accountable service standards, and ensuring fair and predictable costs for ratepayers;

AND WHEREAS conservation authorities collectively own and manage thousands of acres of land. Many of these properties were entrusted to the UTRCA for long- term protection, stewardship, and the public good, with the expectation that such lands would be cared for by locally governed conservation authorities;

AND WHEREAS Bill 68 ( Schedule 3) proposes the creation of the Ontario Provincial Conservation Agency, a Crown corporation that would assume governance responsibilities and consolidate Ontario' s 36 conservation authorities into seven regional authorities, with municipal cost apportionment yet to be defined;

AND WHEREAS the Province already possesses the authority to establish overarching legislation, regulations, and standards through the Conservation Authorities Act and the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks;

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Council of the Municipality of Thames Centre calls on the Government of Ontario to maintain local, independent municipally governed, watershed- based conservation authorities to ensure strong local representation in decisions related to municipal levies, community-focused service delivery, and the protection and management of conservation lands;

AND FURTHER THAT while the Municipality of Thames Centre supports provincial goals for consistent permit approval processes, shared services, and digital modernization, imposing a new top- down agency structure without strong local accountability and governance, risks creating unnecessary cost, red tape, and bureaucracy, thereby undermining efficiency and responsiveness to local community
needs;

AND FURTHER THAT the Municipality of Thames Centre supports efforts to balance expertise, capacity, and program delivery across the province, and requests that the Province work collaboratively with municipalities and local conservation authorities to determine the most effective level of strategic consolidation to achieve both provincial and local objectives;

AND FURTHER THAT a copy of this resolution be sent to:

-the Ontario Minister of Environment, Conservation, and Parks,
-local MPPs,
-Association of Municipalities of Ontario,
-Rural Ontario Municipal Association,
-area Indigenous communities,
-Conservation Authorities, and
-Conservation Ontario.

CARRIED.

Should you wish for a PDF copy of the above resolution, don't hesitate to reach out.

Respectfully,

Jana Nethercott
Director of Legislative Services/Clerk
jnethercott@thamescentre.on. ca
519-268-7334 ext. 254