I am strongly opposed to…

I am strongly opposed to shrinking 36 Conservation Authorities to 7. This means we would lose local expertise, and hands-on, daily monitoring to protect our widely varied watersheds, our drinking water, and our flood protections.

The province states they want to amalgamate all the CAs to streamline the permitting system for developers. Rampant development is already out of hand. What is the priority? Preserving and protecting wetlands, biodiversity and the natural environment should be the most important priority, especially as the climate emergency is ever-increasing.

Ontario's Conservation Authorities are funded about 53% by surrounding municipalities, local citizens funding 35% (with small fees and fundraising.) The province only contributes 5 - 8% to fund them: a unique watershed-based system. This amalgamation means our cities & townships will lose the governance of their own money, despite funding the CAs.