Submission to the…

Submission to the Environmental Registry of Ontario

Re: Bill 68 and Proposed Conservation Authority Reform
Submitted by: Geneviève Lajoie, Mayor of Casselman (in my individual capacity)

I am submitting the following comments in my individual capacity as Mayor of the Municipality of Casselman, informed by my responsibilities, lived experience, and direct engagement with conservation authority services in Eastern Ontario. This submission does not represent a formal position of Council.

Casselman is a member municipality of South Nation Conservation, an authority founded by municipalities in 1947 and built over decades through municipal funding, governance, and partnerships with farmers, landowners, and community organizations. In my role as Mayor, I regularly engage with conservation authority matters related to watershed management, natural hazard protection, source water protection, agricultural drainage, stewardship programming, and development review.

I support modernization, consistent provincial standards, and improved tools for environmental management. However, I am deeply concerned that Bill 68 proposes one of the most significant restructurings of conservation authority governance in Ontario’s history without sufficient clarity, collaboration, or protection of local decision-making.

Local Governance and Municipal Investment

Municipalities currently contribute between 25% and 50% of conservation authority funding, while provincial funding represents approximately 3%. Despite this, Bill 68 proposes to centralize governance authority through a new provincial agency while leaving municipalities responsible for funding, accountability, and community impacts.

From my perspective as a Mayor, this creates a fundamental imbalance. Municipalities that fund conservation authorities must retain meaningful governance authority to ensure services remain responsive, efficient, and aligned with local watershed conditions. Local governance has not been a barrier to development in Eastern Ontario. Conservation authorities in our region consistently meet or exceed provincial service standards while supporting safe and responsible growth.

Land Stewardship and Donor Intent

I am particularly concerned about the long-term protection of conservation lands. Across Eastern Ontario, conservation lands were assembled through decades of municipal investment and, in many cases, private land donations made with the clear expectation that these lands would be protected, stewarded, and governed locally for the public good.

Bill 68 does not clearly articulate how donor intent and local stewardship will be protected under a centralized governance framework. In my view, any reform must include explicit legislative safeguards to ensure conservation lands cannot be repurposed, transferred, or subjected to new land-use policies without local consent and transparency.

Agriculture, Development, and Local Expertise

Casselman is a growing rural community with a strong agricultural base. Farmers and landowners depend on locally delivered expertise related to drainage, erosion control, soil conservation, and watershed management. Conservation authorities in Eastern Ontario function as trusted technical partners who understand regional soils, drainage systems, flood risks, and land use patterns.

Recent provincial changes that reduced local technical capacity have already resulted in higher costs and increased reliance on private consultants. Further consolidation risks amplifying these challenges, undermining both agricultural viability and efficient development review.

Cultural and Regional Considerations

South Nation Conservation is the only bilingual conservation authority in Southern Ontario. For communities like Casselman, bilingual service delivery is a legal and practical necessity. Any future governance model must explicitly protect linguistic capacity and ensure services reflect the cultural and regional realities of Eastern Ontario.

A Call for a Collaborative Approach

I respectfully urge the Province to slow the pace of reform and engage in meaningful collaboration with municipalities, Indigenous partners, conservation authorities, farmers, and watershed stakeholders.

In my view, effective reform should focus on:

Strengthening shared tools, data, and digital systems without centralizing decision-making authority

Preserving local governance and accountability for municipally funded services

Protecting conservation lands and donor intent through explicit legislative language

Supporting voluntary, regionally appropriate collaboration rather than mandated consolidation

Ensuring no loss of local expertise, service quality, or emergency response capacity

Environmental protection, flood management, and watershed stewardship work best when decisions are made close to the land and the people affected. I remain committed to constructive dialogue and to solutions that genuinely strengthen Ontario’s ability to manage water, land, and climate risks.