Conservation Authorities…

Conservation Authorities were set up after Hurricane Hazel, specifically for the purpose of providing local, watershed-based expertise to local residents and municipalities. I find it difficult to imagine how amalgamating 36 Conservation Authorities into 7 regionally based authorities would continue to meet the objectives that established these organizations in the beginning.

Many news articles have cited staff of the Conservation Authorities and Municipalities expressing concerns with the loss of local expertise that could result. Each Conservation Authority has unique geography, development pressures, and communities. Strategies that work well on the shores of Lake Superior are not effective along the lower St. Laurence River. The differences from one Conservation Authority to another are not necessarily "inconsistencies." In many cases, the differences are very targeted to the particular challenges faced by each organization. In that way, amalgamation has the opposite effect of creating efficiencies, by forcing a one-size-fits-all approach onto a province with incredible diversity of habitats, places and people.

In the absence of any concrete information about how the merger would actually be rolled out, it leaves the public guessing as to what the outcome might be. Very little information has been presented to offer an objective opinion on the benefits of amalgamation. I have found very few examples of larger organizations being more agile and efficient than a grassroots company, so even using the business sector as an example, the advantages are not immediately obvious. How exactly will a mega-regional conservation authority be able to "get shovels in the ground" faster, without compromising sound planning principles and circumventing natural hazard policies that exist to protect people and property.

The line between consistency and conformity is thin. Consistency brings predictability and stability, but conformity can quickly lead to mediocrity and lack of innovation. While common systems and tools can be beneficial, scaling up will inevitably lead to loss of local expertise. With shifting climates, it is expertise we can scarcely afford to lose.