The Ausable Bayfield…

The Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority (ABCA) has long been recognized for its exceptional leadership in natural resource and watershed management. Its science-based stewardship programs, community partnerships, and hands-on restoration projects have strengthened the resilience of local waterways, forests, wetlands, and shorelines. Equally significant is ABCA’s outstanding education programming, which has reached and inspired thousands of children and students across the region. Through field trips, outdoor classrooms, and curriculum-linked learning, young people gain a deep understanding of healthy ecosystems, climate impacts, and their own role as environmental stewards—knowledge that benefits both the community and the natural world for generations to come.

With the Province now pursuing regional consolidation of conservation authorities, I am deeply concerned about the future of these impactful programs and about ABCA’s continued commitment to our communities. Local watershed issues require local expertise, long-standing relationships, and an understanding of place—strengths that could be diluted or lost in a larger, centralized structure. Will the high-quality education programs, community engagement, and targeted conservation work that ABCA has built over decades be protected? And will our region continue to receive the focused attention it needs and deserves? As consolidation moves forward, these questions must be addressed to ensure that the effectiveness, integrity, and local accountability of conservation efforts are not compromised.