Key Concerns with the…

Key Concerns with the Proposed Changes:

• Watershed-based management must be preserved. They were developed based on unique hydrology and geology that require specialist management rather than centralized consistency directed from distant centres with limited to no local knowledge.

• The cost of establishing and operating a new Ontario Provincial Conservation Agency (OPCA) is unknown. While OPCA would require substantial resources, local watershed advisory boards would still be necessary for oversight and priority setting. The costs of consolidation are unclear, including who would be responsible for paying them. No business case has been developed to demonstrate how these changes would improve services or efficiencies, nor has there been any cost–benefit analysis.

• Each CA currently respond directly to local community needs, with municipalities, landowners, and partners guiding priorities. Consolidation and centralized strategic direction would reduce municipal input. There is major concern that rural and agricultural priorities will be underrepresented, particularly if regional leadership is based in urban Conservation Authorities.

• Flood and erosion risk reduction most CA’s process is efficient and customer-focused, with an average processing time of a handful of days. It is unclear whether a centralized digital permitting system could match this performance or customer service level, or what the costs of developing and maintaining such a system would be.

Rather than introduce drastic changes that sound like they introduce more bureaucracy, the province should work collaboratively with Conservation Authorities to build capacity and support local, watershed-specific solutions. Most member municipalities provide majority of the operating budgets, while the province contributes just 2-5% (5% across all Conservation Authorities).

Healthy watersheds underpin Ontario’s prosperity and quality of life. Clean water, healthy soils, and diverse forests support key sectors such as agriculture, forestry, and tourism, strengthening local economies and communities.