Submitted to ERO via ERO…

Submitted to ERO via ERO Portal on December 10, 2025

RE: Proposed boundaries for the regional consolidation of Ontario’s Conservation Authorities (ERO #025-1257)

This submission is provided by Saugeen Habitat Collective (“SHC”), a not-for-profit corporation located in Bruce County on the shores of Lake Huron. SHC and its team of volunteers preserves, restores and enhances the natural environment by planting native trees, shrubs, bushes, wildflowers and grasses, and supports animal habitat by installing bird and bat houses. SHC frequently advocates for environmental sustainability at the provincial and local level.
SHC strongly opposes the proposed consolidation of Ontario’s 36 Conservation Authorities into seven regional entities. This proposal is part of a broader pattern in this government’s actions that have consistently weakened Conservation Authorities, starting from when it was first elected. We fear this trajectory will culminate in the sale of conservation lands to developers, undermining decades of public investment in protecting Ontario’s natural heritage. These lands are vital for ecosystem protection, providing habitat for wildlife, safeguarding water quality, and buffering communities against flooding and climate impacts. They should be protected, not exploited.
General Opposition
• Loss of Local Knowledge and Accountability: Watershed-specific expertise cannot be replicated at a regional scale.
• Weakening Community Engagement: Tree planting and restoration thrive on grassroots participation, which will be harder to sustain under distant regional authorities.
• Ecological Risks of Centralization: Ontario’s diverse watersheds demand place-based stewardship, not one-size-fits-all frameworks.
• False Economy of Scale: Larger bureaucracies often create inefficiencies and erode responsiveness. Amalgamation has never delivered on its advocates’ promises.
• Reduced Democratic Oversight: Consolidation risks concentrating power and diminishing transparency.
SHC urges the Ministry to abandon consolidation and instead strengthen existing Conservation Authorities through direct investment in local capacity, staff, and community programs.
Responses to Discussion Questions
1. Key factors to support a successful transition and outcome of regional conservation authority consolidation
• SHC does not support consolidation.
• If pursued, key elements include:
o establishing local advisory boards for each watershed;
o guaranteeing no reduction in staff or frontline programming; and,
o providing dedicated funding to maintain watershed-specific expertise.

2. Opportunities or benefits from a regional conservation authority framework
• SHC sees few genuine benefits.
• Shared technical resources could be achieved through collaborative networks without dismantling local authorities.
• Consolidation is clearly intended to prioritize pro-development agendas over ecological integrity.

3. Suggestions for governance structure at the regional level
• Regional boards must include equal representation from each watershed, not weighted by population.
• Board size should remain large enough to reflect diversity, with strong Indigenous representation.
• Municipal appointments must be transparent and community-driven, not political.

4. Suggestions for maintaining a transparent and consultative budgeting process
• Budgets must be developed with public consultation at the watershed level.
• Each watershed should have a dedicated budget to protect local priorities and its own programs.
• Annual reports should clearly show spending by watershed, not just regional totals.

5. How regional Conservation Authorities can maintain and strengthen relationships with local communities and stakeholders
• Establish local offices and staff presence in every watershed.
• Continue community-based programs like tree planting, restoration, and education.
• Create formal community advisory councils to ensure grassroots voices are heard.
• Commit to regular public meetings in each watershed.

Conclusion
Ontario’s Conservation Authorities are essential guardians of local ecosystems. Consolidation threatens to erode their effectiveness, weaken community trust, and compromise the values of conservation stewardship. Coupled with the government’s ongoing attacks on conservation authority powers, this proposal appears to be a step toward privatization and eventual sale of conservation lands to private, profit-driven interests.
SHC strongly urges the Ministry to reconsider this proposal and instead invest in strengthening the existing watershed-based system that has served Ontario well for decades.

Sincerely,

Board of Directors, Saugeen Habitat Collective