As an Ontario resident, I am…

As an Ontario resident, I am extremely concerned about the Province’s proposal to merge 36 Conservation Authorities into just seven large regional bodies. While I support modernization, efficiency, and consistent standards, I do not believe large-scale consolidation is the right approach.

Local Conservation Authorities understand their watersheds, communities, and risks best. Expanding them into massive regions covering tens of thousands of square kilometres risks losing local voices, slowing decision-making, and increasing bureaucracy. There has been no clear business case, cost-benefit analysis, or explanation of how this change would save money or improve service for residents.

Many conservation lands were donated by local families with the expectation of local stewardship. I worry that regional consolidation could weaken community trust, volunteer involvement, and accountability. Local municipalities currently have a direct say in governance and budgets, which helps ensure transparency and fair costs for taxpayers. This could be lost under a centralized model.

If the Province wants greater consistency and faster approvals, these goals can be achieved without amalgamation through province-wide standards, shared digital tools, improved guidelines, and stable provincial funding. Existing Conservation Authorities have already made progress in these areas.

I urge the Province to focus on strengthening and supporting locally governed, watershed-based Conservation Authorities rather than restructuring them into large regional entities that risk higher costs, reduced responsiveness, and the loss of local decision-making.

Conservation Authorities are already among the most efficient and effective public service organizations in Ontario, delivering critical programs that protect people, property, and the environment on extremely limited budgets. They consistently do more with less. Undermining these locally accountable organizations through forced consolidation risks weakening a system that is already working well. For these reasons, I strongly oppose the proposed consolidation.

Thank you for the opportunity to provide comments.