How has COVID-19 changed the…

How has COVID-19 changed the role and importance of Conservation Authorities?

Their role as guardians of our water systems remains. This is critically important to everyone as without clean, usable water we cannot survive. The government must not erode the Conservation Authorities' role as watershed managers and as protectors of water quality.

Their role as places of nature is evolving. We have seen increased use of conservation authority lands in my part of eastern Ontario, with many more people finding these public lands to be a place of respite during the lockdowns.

I believe, now discovered, conservation authority lands will remain very popular and continue to experience increase use.

To help the public enjoy these public spaces, Conservation Authorities need to be able to host education and other programs. These programs are important not only for increasing knowledge about nature but also for bringing in revenue. Government regulations that curtail this Conservation Authority role are misguided. Passing the responsibility onto individual municipalities is a waste of time and resources.

As well, Conservation Authority staff must have appropriate legal tools to manage their public lands, including the possibility of evicting people who camp on them without permission or who are disrespectful of the property or of other users. I support an increased law enforcement role -- similar to a Park Ranger -- for appropriate Conservation Authority staff.

I also believe in local representation on Conservation Authority Boards. Every watershed is different and local people are the best at understanding the needs of the watershed and the needs of the nearby communities. The best people to sit on Boards are not necessarily city councillors who have so many other demands on their time. The composition of a local board should not be dictated by the Ontario government. This is unnecessary interference in local decision-making.

An Advisory Body is just another layer of bureaucracy that comes at a financial cost to administer. Why is this necessary?

Finally, I object to proposals to allow politicians in Queen's Park to override Conservation Authority decisions with respect to development applications.

I have just returned from canoeing the Rideau River, a trip I started last year and completed this week -- from Kingston to Ottawa. The river is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We can feel amazed by the lock system and the 1830s engineering that built it. We can feel ashamed of some of the selfish development that has bespoiled the shoreline, putting water quality at risk. Without a ribbon of life to filter water, without adequate setbacks of housing from the water's edge (as provided for in the Provincial Policy Statement and Natural Heritage Reference Manual), one person's pleasure is at the expense of everyone's right to clean water.

We have the scientific knowledge to do what is necessary to restore the river's water quality over time; I have observed how much this needs to happen.

We cannot let political decisions -- favours for friends and supporters -- undermine what is best for nature and for humans overall. People understand the importance of water to our survival. It is only a matter of time before they will recognize the urgent need to protect water over development proposals that put that water further at risk. Conservation authorities need to be allowed to do their job on behalf of all of us.

I attach one photograph to point out how the continuation of development on the water's edge cannot be allowed to continue. Frankly, I trust local Conservation Authorities more than Queen's Park to make decisions that are in the best interests of the community. They are more immediately accountable to their neighbours.