Discussion questions to seek early input for the development of a future regulation governing watershed councils under the Conservation Authorities Act

Ontario’s 36 conservation authorities (CAs) are to be consolidated on February 1, 2027 to create nine regional CAs to improve service delivery, strengthen watershed management, support economic growth and maintain strong environmental and drinking water source protections.  

Local expertise and relationships are vital to CAs delivering their work – which is why our plan includes the creation of local watershed councils by regional CAs for the purposes of assisting the authority in identifying local priorities with respect to the authority’s programs and services and to ensure that local interests are considered as part of the authority’s decision-making process. 

The intent is that at a future date, after consolidation, the requirement for regional CAs to establish one or more watershed councils, per s.18.1 of the Conservation Authorities Act, would come into force concurrently with a watershed council regulation (to be developed and finalized). 

In addition, the government is planning to introduce amendments to the Clean Water Act, 2006 (CWA) to set out that these watershed councils, once established, would fulfill the role of source protection committees (SPCs), supporting continued local cooperation in the protection of drinking water sources. Some functions and duties of SPCs would also be transferred to and become the responsibilities of source protection authorities. The current 19 existing SPCs would continue until such time that CAs establish watershed councils and the watershed councils begin to perform the roles of the SPCs. These current SPCs include members that represent municipal, economic and Indigenous interests, as well as those of the general public (environmental, health, other). When the source protection program was first created under the CWA, SPCs developed the local source protection plans for each source protection area, identifying actions that protect the drinking water sources for almost 450 municipal residential drinking water systems across the province.  

We are seeking your input and ideas about the composition, functions, powers, duties, activities and procedures of watershed councils. We welcome your feedback in response to the discussion questions below. Responses may be submitted through this posting or by email to ca.office@ontario.ca. 

Discussion Questions 

CAs deliver mandatory programs and services such as flood and erosion control, advice to municipalities on natural hazard management and other matters, regulating impacts of development and activities in hazardous land, managing conservation authority owned lands, and drinking water source protection. Future planned amendments to the CWA would also provide for certain SPC responsibilities to be fulfilled by watershed councils once they are established. With that in mind, we are asking for feedback on the following questions. 

Questions about watershed councils functions and activities 

1. Which CA programs and services would benefit from locally focused watershed council input, and which programs and services should watershed councils not be involved in? 
2. What specific roles should watershed councils play in a regional CA’s watershed-based planning (e.g., identifying and prioritizing issues, proposing actions, collecting data, developing reports, leading public education and awareness, etc.)?  
3. In what circumstances, if any, should watershed councils provide formal advice, recommendations or reports to the CA in relation to the CA’s watershed-based planning?  
4. Which functions would make sense for watershed councils to carry out to best support local drinking water source protection priorities? 

Questions about number and composition for watershed councils 

5. Under what circumstances should a regional CA establish more than one watershed council? What criteria or factors would inform this? 
6. What interests and expertise should be represented on watershed councils to ensure local perspectives and knowledge are reflected,  
7. for the purposes of CA watershed-based planning? 
8. for the functions and duties of SPCs under the CWA? 
9. How should members of the watershed council be selected?  
10. How many members should watershed councils have? 

Questions about “procedures” for watershed councils 

9. What should the ministry consider for the governance and operating procedures of watershed councils?  
10. What length of time should members serve for?  
     

We welcome your feedback in response to the discussion questions. Responses may be submitted through this posting or by email to ca.office@ontario.ca.