The Mattagami Region…

The Mattagami Region Conservation Authority (MRCA) in northern Ontario should remain a freestanding operation when distance and geography, geographic isolation are considered.

MRCA does not share supporting infrastructure for hydrometric networks, municipal servicing, communication systems or important emergency management frameworks with more southern located conservation authorities like Sudbury and North Bay due to distance and geography. There is no economic alignment that justifies the proposed ministry changes.

MRCA is the only conservation authority whose watersheds drain into the Arctic Basin. When increasing climate disruptions related to flooding are factored in to decision making frameworks, the risk of uncertainty and delays in program delivery, permitting and hazard management make the amalgamation proposal highly questionable and likely dangerous.

MRCA understands its mandate and very works well in this region.

The ministry proposal is an odd additional expensive layer of bureaucracy which can only result in poor service and outcomes for Northerners in this watershed region of 11 000 km2.

It is difficult to understand what is the problem that this proposal attempts to solve, but it is easy to see how the south, yet again, has little to no understanding of the far north in terms of distance, geography and impacts. It appears that someone just looked at a map, made uninformed and wrong assumptions and then drew lines.

In this proposal the Ministry has failed to determine or demonstrate an actual need for consolidation in the north and the proposal should be withdrawn for the MRCA region.