Provincial legislation that would, in part, merge Ontario’s 36 conservation authorities into seven, has met with pushback from the local conservation authority. The Essex Region Conservation Authority (ERCA) board of directors met and had a lengthy debate on Bill 68 and voted to oppose the proposed boundary configuration that would see the Essex County and Windsor region become part of the “Lake Erie Regional Conservation Authority.” That new authority would also include the

Amherstburg Municipal Building. Amherstburg town council got its first look at the 2026 capital and operating budgets Monday night, and they are starting with a lower proposed tax rate increase than usual. The initial tax rate increase being proposed sits at 2.86 per cent, or $85.13 on a home valued at $250,000. This is the start of the 2026 budget process, with a public open house coming Nov. 22, a presentation to the audit and finance committee Dec. 1 and budget deliberatio

A move to amalgamate some conservation areas is meeting with questions and concerns locally. Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Park, Todd McCarthy has announced the Ontario government will soon introduce legislation to create the Ontario Provincial Conservation Agency (OPCA) “with the aim of improving the province’s conservation authority system to help get shovels in the ground faster on homes and other local infrastructure projects, while strengthening the vital