I am writing in opposition…

I am writing in opposition of the proposed amalgamation of the Lakehead Region Conservation Authority (LRCA) with six other Southern Ontario Conservation Authorities to form the "Huron-Superior Regional Conservation Authority". I support the LRCA's recommendation that the Lakehead Region Conservation Authority form a stand-alone regional conservation authority as the "Northwestern Ontario Regional Conservation Authority". As currently proposed, the consolidation of the LRCA with six other Southern Ontario conservation authorities will result in a loss of local direction, governance and prioritization of the issues important to residents of Northwestern Ontario. I believe that the province's proposed changes will result in a significant loss of representation for Northwestern Ontario, limited control over budgets and levies charged to member municipalities, limited prioritization of local issues and priorities, substantial transition costs, and longer wait times for permits.

The LRCA also maintains a long-standing relationship with our local university (Lakehead University), allowing the LRCA and university faculty to collaborate on projects that align with the mutual goals of managing and conserving the Lakehead Watershed. For example, Lakehead University students and staff have partnered together for shoreline cleanups, streambank stabilization projects, and research on flooding, erosion, and water quality. These partnerships provide local expertise, enabling the LRCA to make science-based conservation decisions. The proposed amalgamation of the LRCA with six other Southern Conservation Authorities will result in centralized decision-making that benefits Southern Ontario, leaving the voices of Northwestern Ontario unheard, and will sever the close partnerships that the LRCA has with the university community.

The LRCA staff and managers possess local, site-specific expertise in managing the region's waterways, ensuring their vision of a healthy, safe, and sustainable watershed for future generations. With management decisions centralized in Southern Ontario, the proposed "Huron-Superior Regional Conservation Authority" will lack the local expertise necessary to ensure that local interests are met, thereby failing to provide a healthy, safe, and sustainable watershed for future generations.

With this in mind, I reiterate my opposition to the Province's proposed amalgamation of the Lakehead Region Conservation Authority (LRCA) with six other Southern Ontario Conservation Authorities and support the LRCA's recommendation that the Lakehead Region Conservation Authority form a stand-alone regional conservation authority as the "Northwestern Ontario Regional Conservation Authority".