I am writing to voice my…

I am writing to voice my opposition against the scope and scale of the boundary changes being proposed for Hamilton Conservation Authority and the Conservation Authorities across Ontario.

I am a resident of the City of Hamilton, living in Westdale, under Councillor Wilson's Ward. I support Hamilton City Council and HCA's opposition of this proposal. I am also a tenant farmer and staff at a farming organization representing over 1,000 members in Ontario. It is important to me that farmer's voices are at the forefront of democratic governance of rural and agriculturally based watersheds.

I appreciate that my farm and the organization I work for are contributing to a healthy watershed and local awareness of this will be important as we face challenges from development pressures, changing weather patterns and addressing climate change.

I also hold a membership pass with HCA and frequently access their natural lands for recreation, like Dundas Valley, which is an ecologically significant space in Hamilton that HCA stewards.

Conservation Authorities (CAs) are a valued local presence that provide stewardship, parks, trails and educational activities, in addition to flood management and regulatory functions, essential to keeping me and my neighbours safe. I know their local experts can help me address climate change, biodiversity loss, and ecological practices on my farm.

A regional CA model will diminish the partnership between my Municipality and the Province. It will distance me and my municipally elected representatives from important environmental decisions and give more decision-making power to larger urban centres. I am concerned that my local tax dollars will not go to improving my local environment and my water. I anticipate these changes will lessen environmental safeguards for me and my community. In a time of unpredictable climate change affects and biodiversity loss, it is not a time to weaken CAs, but rather strengthen and improve them.

I am looking for local solutions to water and environmental issues. I want to continue to be part of a local CA which respects the knowledge and relationships that exist in managing my local watershed.

I believe the province should:

Maintain local decision-making boards

Ensure municipal funds are allocated to their local watersheds

Ensure environmental safeguards are protected

Ensure that assets are retained by the local conservation authority, which has invested 80 years in securing and protecting these community resources

Work collaboratively with CAs to build capacity and support local solutions to restore the health and resiliency of watersheds

Increase provincial funding to CAs to ensure that they can carry out the work the province requires of them.

Thank you for the opportunity to provide comments.