EBR#025-1257 Proposed…

EBR#025-1257
Proposed Boundaries for the Regional Consolidation of Ontario’s Conservation Authorities.

Dear Public Input Coordinator,
I am an independent commentator. All of the words and ideas herein contained are my own and are not intended to reflect those of any Committee or Organization that I may now or ever served on.
It would seem that the current Government in Ontario does not like Conservation Authorities very much. Some people do. Some people do not.
Some Conservation Authorities get along well with the Municipalities and people within their watersheds. Others choose to conduct a reign of terror because they can.
Conservation Authorities are autonomous corporate bodies incorporated under the Conservation Authorities Act. Their function is defined under that Act.
Conservation Authorities are Watershed Regulatory Agencies. This includes things like Floodplains, wetlands, valley lands, shorelines, water courses, restoration, and Source Water Protection. Because of inadequate Provincial funding Conservation Authorities run parks, beaches, event centres, trailer parks, golf courses, and sometimes even develops land to self generate funds to finance its mandates in addition to levying Municipalities within its Watershed. Because they are involved in so much Conservation Authorities are in a position of Conflict of Purpose.
Amalgamating the existing 36 Conservation Authorities into 7 Regional Conservation Authorities changes nothing. First it will take years and many millions of dollars to do it. Current Staff and Boards will fight to maintain their turf. It is treasonable to expect job losses and resignations.
Fewer, stronger Regional Conservation Authorities will be much harder to deal with than the Conservation Authorities we have now. Surely that was not the plan. Therefore, Amalgamating existing Authorities into 7 Regional Authorities is strongly not recommended.

Preferred Recommendation:
Maintain the current 36 Conservation Authorities and restore adequate Provincial Funding. Nothing insures desired performance more than controlling the purse strings. Take steps to create achievable performance standards as well as requiring the proper conduct of Staff, Management, and the Board.
Elect the Board during Municipal Elections. People who want to be reelected will make sure their Organizations will perform to the benefit of all the taxpayers who pay for it.

Alternate Recommendation
It is clear that the current Government does not like Conservation Authorities. If that is so then the Government should repeal the Conservation Authorities Act, dissolve all Conservation Authorities, and assign the various functions including, but not limited to, Floodplain mapping, wetlands, valley lands, and Source Water Protection etc to the appropriate Provincial Ministries so that the Government can get the results they want.
Thank you for the time taken to read this. It is hoped that it was helpful.