Submission: CAFES position…

Submission: CAFES position on provincial proposal to amalgamate conservation authorities and create new provincial oversight body

CAFES has reviewed the Province of Ontario’s proposal to amend the Conservation Authorities Act and consolidate Ontario’s 36 Conservation Authorities into seven regional bodies overseen by a new provincial agency (ERO Posting #025-1257).

While some consolidation of smaller conservation authorities may be advantageous, it is important to keep in mind that drainage, flooding, erosion, and water quality follow watershed boundaries — not administrative borders.

CAFES is concerned by the idea that locally raised (ie municipal) tax money would go towards creating a new provincial body. This is particularly concerning given the dramatic reduction in provincial funding to conservation authorities (from up to 50% in the past to roughly 3% now), leaving municipalities to fund the majority of watershed services. The proposed restructuring would shift governance away from the municipalities who created and fund Conservation Authorities, resulting in a significant loss of local decision-making, community accountability, and rural representation. Any new provincial authority should be fully funded by the province and not divert municipal resources to a distant governance structure. Sustainable provincial funding for conservation is essential and we would welcome an increase.

CAFES appreciates the goals to improve consistency and modernize digital permitting but we believe this can be achieved without removing local governance or amalgamating watershed agencies into large provincial structures.

Within the Ottawa area the South Nation, Rideau Valley and Mississippi Valley Conservation Authorities coordinate with each other and deliver efficient and timely services to residents and municipalities. It is worth noting that the Province’s Housing Affordability Task Force Report, does not identify Conservation Authorities as barriers to housing or development. Limited information about the restructuring proposal has been provided and there has been no cost benefit analysis done to support the idea that the creation of a new agency would provide advantages. The proposal offers no clarity on how land transfers, municipal service agreements, risk management offices, or emergency response roles would function. It is CAFES opinion that the proposed change is likely to add administrative burden, slow response times and reduce service quality in our area.

A local presence is critical to conduct technical, scientific work on the ground. It allows the Conservation Authorities to deliver rapid site visits, emergency response, field monitoring and stewardship of lands. Those services simply can not be provided by a centralized agency in Toronto, and they will be much less efficient to deliver by Conservation Authorities covering much larger areas.

All areas have their particular geographic features. In Ottawa, issues around landslides and leda clay are particular to this area necessitating strong local expertise. The three regional watersheds in the Ottawa area flow into the Ottawa River and there is a strong concern that amalgamation will result in less attention being paid to the health of the Ottawa River. Ottawa’s extensive rural communities rely on groundwater and the city of Ottawa is particularly vulnerable to flooding. Despite this, wetlands that provide a critical role in providing flood resilience and clean water are being lost at an alarming rate. Ottawa and surrounding areas of eastern Ontario have consistently experienced the highest rate of wetland loss recorded in the province from 2000 to 2020. As such, local expertise and local solutions are very much needed.

Conservation Authorities in the Ottawa area serve a large agricultural base which is a local economic driver. They have developed partnerships with the agricultural community and deliver programs designed to serve their needs. CAFES is concerned that the issues of rural businesses and residents will be diminished within a larger structure where the bigger municipalities will likely have greater influence.

The Ottawa area has a large Francophone community and the Conservation Authorities provide bilingual services as needed. We can not lose that capacity as part of a larger body but there is no need for bilingual services in all areas. In this case, consistency would not be more efficient.

Much of the land managed by Conservation Authorities was donated by those who wanted it to be locally managed, for conservation purposes, in perpetuity. Transferring these properties to a distant regional authority raises numerous concerns and undermines donor confidence which is essential to sustaining long-term conservation partnerships in Ontario.

In summary, CAFES supports efforts to modernize but it is essential to maintain: local accountability and decision-making; rural representation; watershed-based science and natural hazard expertise; donor trust and municipal land agreements; agricultural partnerships and on-the-ground service delivery; bilingual service obligations; and community safety and emergency response capacity.

ABOUT CAFES (Community Action for Environmental Sustainability) is a non-profit network that supports community-led environment and climate action across Ottawa. www.cafesottawa.ca