Proposed boundaries for the regional consolidation of Ontario’s conservation authorities

A decision has been made on the boundaries for the regional CAs following consultation with stakeholders, the public, and Indigenous communities during the proposal’s 45 day posting from November 7 to December 22, 2025.

Feedback received through the consultation process—including responses to five discussion questions on key elements to ensure a successful transition and consolidated model —helped shape the government’s plan pertaining to the final boundaries for regional CAs, governance of regional CAs, and the transition process.

This initiative builds on recent progress Ontario has made to improve the CA system by establishing the Ontario Provincial Conservation Agency (OPCA) to provide centralized leadership and oversight for Ontario’s CAs. This decision is part of the government’s plan to improve Ontario’s CA system, to ensure CAs have the tools required to protect the communities they serve, supporting economic prosperity while balancing environmental protection and development needs.

On March 10, 2026, the Minister of the Environment Conservation and Parks (the ministry) also announced a new annual $3 million fund to be administered by OPCA to support the transition and CA system transformation. This funding will ensure OPCA has the tools and resources to support CAs and coordinate a successful transition over the next year with minimal disruptions to CAs’ governance, programs and services.

Final optimized boundaries for the regional consolidation of Ontario’s conservation authorities

Feedback heard during consultation included comments that the proposed regional CAs were too large and covered areas of differing environmental needs, concern about potential for service disruption during transition and consolidation, questions about the costs of consolidation, fear of loss of local influence and relationships, and the risk for dilution in municipal governance of CAs.

We’ve listened and used the feedback heard during consultation to strengthen and refine our plan.

The planned final boundaries were adjusted from the proposed seven regional CAs to nine based on feedback from consultation that the proposed boundaries were too large, did not align with watersheds and covered areas of differing environmental needs. As a result, adjustments were made to the boundaries to accommodate areas with distinct geographies and development contexts, better balance differing priorities across rural, urban and northern areas and improve alignment with watersheds and with source protection regions.

Specifically, changes made to the original proposal for seven regional CAs include the plan for:

• Lakehead Region CA to maintain its current CA boundaries and will be given the new name of Northwestern Ontario Regional CA
• The proposed Huron-Superior to be renamed to the Lake Huron Regional CA
• Toronto and Region Conservation Authority to be consolidated with nearby Central Lake Ontario CA to become Central Lake Ontario Regional CA
• The original proposed Lake Erie Regional CA to instead be two regional CAs: Western Lake Erie Regional CA and Eastern Lake Erie Regional CA
• The Cataraqui CA, that was previously proposed to be included in the St. Lawrence River Regional CA to be instead included in the Eastern Lake Ontario Regional CA

The nine new regional CAs and the predecessor CAs planned to be consolidated are listed below.

1. Central Lake Ontario Regional Conservation Authority

• Central Lake Ontario CA
• Toronto and Region CA

2. Eastern Lake Erie Regional Conservation Authority

• Catfish Creek CA
• Grand River CA
• Kettle Creek CA
• Long Point Region CA

3. Eastern Lake Ontario Regional Conservation Authority

• Cataraqui Region CA
• Crowe Valley CA
• Ganaraska Region CA
• Lower Trent Region CA
• Otonabee Region CA
• Quinte CA
• Kawartha Region CA

4. Lake Huron Regional Conservation Authority

• Ausable Bayfield CA
• Grey Sauble CA
• Lake Simcoe Region CA
• Maitland Valley CA
• Nottawasaga Valley CA
• Saugeen Valley CA

5. Northeastern Ontario Regional Conservation Authority

• Mattagami Region CA
• Nickel District CA
• North Bay Mattawa CA
• Sault Ste. Marie Region CA

6. Northwestern Ontario Regional Conservation Authority

• Lakehead Region CA

7. St. Lawrence River Regional Conservation Authority

• Mississippi Valley CA
• Raisin Region CA
• Rideau Valley CA
• South Nation River CA

8. Western Lake Erie Regional Conservation Authority

• Essex Region CA
• Lower Thames Valley CA
• St. Clair Region CA
• Upper Thames River CA

9. Western Lake Ontario Regional Conservation Authority

• Credit Valley CA
• Halton Region CA
• Hamilton Region CA
• Niagara Peninsula CA

Please see the maps of the planned boundaries for the nine regional CAs at Ontario Provincial Conservation Agency | ontario.ca

This spring, the government plans to introduce amendments to the Conservation Authorities Act (CAA) that, if passed, will set out the consolidation of Ontario’s CAs as described above.

Statutory Amalgamation

The need to ensure service continuity for communities was a key part of the feedback we heard throughout consultation, and as such, is a core principle of this planned transition. To avoid disruption to existing partnerships and agreements with municipalities, Indigenous communities, or others, the ministry plans to proceed with consolidation by way of statutory amalgamation. This means the assets, liabilities and agreements of the predecessor CAs would become those of the new regional CAs. Residents would continue to work with the same local teams who know their watershed, understand local issues, and provide on-the-ground support.

The ministry plans to propose amendments to the CAA that would:

• Consolidate 35 of the current CAs into eight regional CAs, by way of statutory amalgamation, to occur in early 2027, or a later date prescribed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council (LGIC), including setting out the rules that would apply to the amalgamation of the CAs, such as:
  • Ensuring all rights, obligations assets and liabilities from the CAs would become those of the new regional CAs.
  • Providing for the continuation of all existing agreements, contracts, permitting or other actions underway.
  • Ensuring the current jurisdiction of the individual CAs are combined to become the jurisdiction of the consolidated regional CA.
  • Specifying that the provisions of the Public Sector Labour Relations Transition Act would apply to the consolidation of CAs.
• Continue the Lakehead Region CA with its current jurisdiction, renamed as the Northwestern Ontario Regional Conservation Authority.

Transition to Consolidated CAs

This plan includes that OPCA would lead consolidation and would have the tools and resources to coordinate a successful transition over the next year with minimal disruptions to CAs’ governance, programs and services. OPCA is being provided financial resources to support the transition and create transition committees to lead the work in partnership with representatives from each of the local conservation authorities. As a result, the transition process would be organized and supported by provincial funding, and CAs can remain focused on delivering local programs and services, including issuing permits, and ensure minimal disruption for the communities they service.

The ministry plans to propose amendments to the CAA that would:

• Require OPCA to:
  • Establish eight transition committees – one for each regional CA being consolidated with members to include the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO)/ General Manager and a municipally-elected board member from each of the current CAs and any other members as appointed by OPCA.
  • Appoint Project Executives who will chair the transition committees. The Project Executives appointed by OPCA would also serve as inaugural CAO of the regional CA for up to 24 months upon consolidation to ensure stability and continuity in leadership. Following this time period, the members (i.e. board) of the regional CA will assume responsibility for long-term CAO decisions.
• Mandate transition committees to develop a transition plan to prepare for the consolidation, subject to OPCA’s review. Project Executives will be able to request information from conservation authorities as needed to support the development of the transition plan.
• Require the members, sometimes referred to as the board of directors, of regional CAs to be selected by the participating municipalities prior to the date of consolidation to ensure a seamless transition from the predecessor CAs.
• Require new regional CAs to implement the transition plan, with the opportunity to make revisions subject to approval by OPCA, and report on progress of the implementation of the plan to OPCA.

To ensure there aren’t any service disruptions during transition, our plan would put time-limited measures in place to ensure a smooth and organized transition process. This would include the Minister being enabled to issue temporary directions to support an orderly, stable CA consolidation while routine CA operations continue. These directions would expire upon consolidation, at the latest.

The ministry plans to propose amendments to the CAA that would:

• Suspend existing provisions in the CAA allowing for the establishment, enlargement, amalgamation, and dissolution of CAs during the transition period.
• Enable the Minister to issue immediate temporary restrictions on certain activities by CAs, to facilitate the planned consolidation. The intent is to restrict activities related to extraordinary financial, asset, or employment decisions to mitigate risk and ensure a stable transition to the new regional structure.
• Enable the Minister to issue directions regarding the budget and apportionment process for 2027 CA budgets that occurs during 2026.
• Update the CA governance structure for regional CAs with participating municipalities being the upper-tier and single-tier municipalities within a CA’s area of jurisdiction.
• Set out that the method for determining the number of members (commonly referred to as “the board members”) that each participating municipality appoints to the regional CA would be prescribed in regulation based on each participating municipality’s proportion of the population in the regional CA’s jurisdiction; each participating municipality would be guaranteed at least one member. The amendments, if passed, would also set out that regulations would establish the maximum number of members appointed by all participating municipalities of a CA (maximum board size), and the maximum number of members that any one municipality could appoint, to ensure fairness and balance.
• Update other governance provisions including removing the requirement that 70 per cent of appointments of members to the CA by a participating municipality be elected officials and that the positions of chair and vice chair be filled on a rotating basis between participating municipalities.
• Add that certain knowledge and experience must be considered by municipalities when appointing members to the CA who do not sit on municipal council.
• Update that chairs and vice-chairs may be appointed for two-year terms and up to a maximum of eight total years served.

Independent and municipally governed regional CAs

Feedback on the governance of consolidated CAs included emphasis on the need to ensure continued municipal independence of the CAs that provide necessary programs and services and CAs to their communities while also simplifying processes and reducing administrative overlap. In recognition of this feedback, our plan for CA governance maintains municipal governance and oversight, streamlines municipal appointments and participation in CA processes, and allows conservation authorities to focus on effective, coordinated decision-making across the region.

Our plan would make participating municipalities those that are at the upper- and single-tier levels. The number of members appointed to each authority would be streamlined—around 15 to 20 members—with population-based representation, the details of which would be set out in regulation. The plan is for each participating municipality to be guaranteed a member, and for limitations to be placed on the number of members appointed by any one municipality to ensure fairness and balance.

The ministry plans to propose amendments to the CAA that would:

Consultation feedback emphasized the need for regional CAs to continue to rely on the deep local expertise, knowledge, and relationships built. In response to this feedback, our plan includes that each new CA would be required to establish at least one watershed council to ensure local interests are considered and that watershed planning continues to be guided by local knowledge and input. These councils would enable diverse participation such as from lower-tier municipalities as well Indigenous communities and local stakeholders, ensuring community voices and on‑the‑ground insights are considered in regional decision making.

The ministry plans to propose amendments to the CAA that would:

• Require each regional CA to establish one or more watershed councils to ensure local priorities are identified and considered by the regional CA and create regulation-making authority for the Minister to outline the number, composition, functions, powers, duties, activities and procedures of watershed councils.

What’s Not Changing

Under our plan and the proposed amendments to the CAA, if passed, the important work that CAs do to protect people and property from the risks of flooding and other natural hazards would not change. The nine regional CAs would continue to fulfill provincially mandated programs such as drinking water source protection under the Clean Water Act, regulating development and other activities in areas at risk of natural hazards like flooding and erosion (e.g. floodplains, shorelines, watercourse and wetlands), flood forecasting and warning, and managing their lands and recreational trails so that Ontarians have access to local natural areas and outdoor activities.

No changes would be made to the overall extent of CA jurisdiction within the province as a result of the planned consolidation. The new regional CAs would remain independent organizations operating with municipal governance and oversight. Participating municipalities would retain the responsibility for appointing members (i.e. board members) to a CA and would be levied for portions of CA operating expenses and costs not covered by other sources of revenue.

As a result of our plan for consolidation, the nine regional CAs would deliver more consistent and efficient operations. This improved efficiency and reduced administrative duplication would allow resources to be re-directed to frontline conservation efforts and improved customer service for municipalities and permit applicants, while ensuring decisions continue to be based on sound science and supported by local advice.