Conservation authorities…

Conservation authorities were established as a direct response to flooding and erosion. Decision makers recognized the importance of ensuring conservation authorities were led by local voices and embodied local needs. Unique to Ontario, they play a pivotal role in supporting sustainable community development that allow people and nature to thrive.

Unfortunately, many recent changes have severely undermined conservation authorities’ ability to effectively fulfill this role. The regressive changes include the proposal to consolidate the 36 conservation authorities into just seven that would be overseen by the new centralized provincial agency. That would be compounded with limitations to their mandate, resourcing and independence over the past several years.

These proposed changes are likely to create conditions under which it is far more possible that critical local knowledge will be excluded from key decisions, leaving communities more exposed to flooding and other environmental harms. Folding the current conservation authority structure into 7 giant regional bodies that have to worry about multiple watersheds is not ‘modernization.’ It is dilution. Dilution of local expertise, as each watershed is unique.

Conservation authorities themselves are warning that this restructuring will increase complexity and weaken their ability to respond to local conditions.

This story is not new. Large amalgamations in the public sector are always sold as ‘efficiency’ and ‘streamlining.’ In practice, they often deliver higher costs, slower decisions, more distance from local communities, and less transparency.

If the government is serious about protecting the province’s diverse watersheds, it will keep the current structure intact and keep decision making tied to the communities that actually live with the consequences.

Respectfully, I urge you to not proceed with the proposed consolidation. Please conduct meaningful work with Indigenous communities, municipalities and civil society to empower conservation authorities to use their local expertise to increase our flood resiliency, support land stewardship, safeguard our water and conserve our natural areas. It is clear their work is becoming more and more important as we deal with the negative impacts of climate change increasing exponentially year over year.