I urge the government to not…

I urge the government to not proceed with the consolidation of the conservation authorities.

In my opinion, it seems to me that the province is most interested in speeding up permitting in Ontario and expanding development pathways by centralizing the permitting process and putting it online.

This consolidation will also lose the local voices who have to date been more aware & informed about the waterways they are responsible for.

At their core, conservation authorities, since their implementation in 1946, work to reduce risks from floods, erosion and drought. According to Lanthier’s presentation, they also complete 32,000 planning and permit reviews annually and manage over $3.8 billion in flood control and prevention infrastructure. They also offer 3,500 kilometres worth of trails.

It is vital that these local voices are not get lost in some provincial oversight that is shortsighted. I agree with the summation by the Association of Municipalities of Ontario which concluded:
“The government is making changes, but it is not providing any new, ongoing provincial funding to run conservation authorities effectively, while simultaneously creating a new provincial oversight agency and weakening local municipal leaders’ control over conservation and environmental protections".