As a resident on Ontario I…

As a resident on Ontario I am happy to have the opportunity to comment on the proposal to amalgamate Ontario's Local Conservation Authorities.
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My community is served by the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority, whose watershed based planning and stewardship are vital to local safety and environmental health. One of RVCA’s properties, Foley Mountain Conservation Area, lies directly north of the Village of Westport and provides forest cover, wildlife habitat, recreational opportunities, and a natural buffer that helps protect the village and surrounding lakes from erosion, flooding, and other climate-related impacts.
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Conservation authorities are one of Ontario’s most effective tools for protecting people and property from flooding and other natural hazards, safeguarding drinking water sources, and conserving wetlands and natural heritage. Consolidating 36 conservation authorities into a small number of large regional bodies will weaken local knowledge, local accountability, and the ability to respond to the distinct watershed conditions that communities like Westport face within the Frontenac Arch Biosphere. This is a biodiverse area with species who need protection.
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The proposal also risks creating inequities between urban and rural communities that rely on
conservation authorities for technical expertise in floodplain mapping, erosion control, and natural heritage planning. If local offices are closed or services centralized, our community will face longer delays, reduced attention to site specific risks, and potentially higher costs as municipalities, and small municipalities who do not have the financial means, are forced to find alternative expertise or bear greater responsibility for hazard management.
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In an era of climate change and climate crisis, when extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and severe, it is counterintuitive and dangerous to weaken the very institutions designed to plan and manage at the watershed level. Instead of cutting and consolidating, the province should strengthen conservation authorities’ capacity to deliver science based flood prevention, land use advice, and source water protection that reflect local realities, particularly in globally significant landscapes such as the Frontenac Arch Biosphere.
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For these reasons, I respectfully request that the Government of Ontario withdraw the current proposal to reduce and consolidate conservation authorities, undertake full and transparent consultation with affected communities, and commit to strengthening watershed-based conservation planning with stable funding for flood prevention, natural heritage protection, and source water protection. Any future reforms must preserve strong local representation and decision making for each watershed, particularly in rural communities and in ecologically sensitive and/or significant regions such as the Frontenac Arch Biosphere and the Rideau Valley watershed.

Thank-you for the opportunity to address this issue. I look forward to hearing back from you regarding your environmental protection plans and the policy to amalgamate the Conservation Authorities.