I strongly urge the…

I strongly urge the government to restore Conservation Authority powers that have been taken away or weakened by Schedule 6 of Bill 229. Furthermore I ask that the government strengthen Conservation Authority powers to protect wetlands, valleylands and 'hazard lands' from develop in order to save future residents from the flooding they are already suffering due to poor planning decisions in the past - eg. many Oakville residents, Harriston residents, and thousands of others.

Conservation Authorities have amassed the expertise to inform planners of areas where it is safe to build, but they need the authority to ensure that poor decisions are a thing of the past. They need to be able to inform municipalities and have the authority to override when poorly thought out MZOs are issued, threatening the ability of wetlands lowlands to provide flood control, threatening the quality of our drinking water, and threatening the natural lands that sustain our lives.

It is a waste of public time and money when citizens have to fight the poor decisions of their own government. This energy should be put into ensuring that we in Ontario have a healthy, truly earth-friendly economy, so that we, our children and theirs into perpetuity may enjoy a healthy prosperous lifestyle. With climate change and population growth these challenges are already going to be great enough for them to face. Let's empower the CAs to support a sustainable future on which we all depend.