I am writing in response to…

I am writing in response to ERO Notice #025-1257 — Proposed boundaries for the regional consolidation of Ontario’s conservation authorities. While the government frames this initiative as a way to “improve the CA system,” I am deeply concerned that consolidating 36 locally governed Conservation Authorities into just seven regional bodies will undermine the effectiveness, responsiveness, and public trust in watershed management across Ontario.
Environmental Registry of Ontario
Conservation Authorities were originally created to manage natural resources and protect communities from hazards like flooding and erosion based on local watershed conditions. The proposed new regional model covers vast geographic areas with disparate ecological conditions — which risks losing the highly specialized local expertise that current CAs bring to issues like flood response, natural hazard planning, permitting, and habitat protection. Many existing CA boards and stakeholders have expressed concern that this scale of consolidation could dilute local decision-making and weaken accountability to municipal partners and residents.

I am also worried that transition costs (e.g., harmonizing governance, salaries, benefits, policies, and systems across authorities) could be substantial and were not clearly justified in the proposal. These costs — including rebranding and administrative restructuring — are likely to outweigh any claimed efficiencies. Furthermore, despite assurances of “no job losses,” major changes inevitably create uncertainty and risk loss of local institutional knowledge.

Finally, local conservation work — from maintaining natural green spaces to protecting drinking water sources and biodiversity — directly benefits communities’ quality of life, public health, and climate resilience. Centralizing these functions into fewer large authorities may distance decision-making from the people who rely on these services most. For these reasons, I urge the province to reconsider this consolidation plan and engage more deeply with municipalities, CA staff, Indigenous partners, and residents before advancing such a significant change.