Move to merge conservation authorities met with concern locally

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 role conservation authorities play in managing watersheds and protecting communities from floods and natural hazards. This action will help the province deliver on its plan to protect Ontario by cutting red tape and building an economy that is more competitive, resilient and self-reliant, to help keep workers on the job in the face of tariffs and economic uncertainty.”

The province says “another key action announced by the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks and the Chief Conservation Executive is the plan to consolidate the province’s 36 conservation authorities into regional conservation authorities that continue to align with watershed boundaries.” 

“These proposed improvements to the conservation authority system would reduce duplicative administrative costs, free-up resources for frontline conservation, and better align conservation authorities’ services with provincial priorities on housing, the economy, infrastructure and climate resilience,” the province states. 

“Conservation authorities play a vital role in protecting our communities and managing our watersheds, but the system has become too fragmented, inconsistent and outdated,” said McCarthy, in a press release. “The new, dedicated agency would work with conservation leaders to ensure faster, more transparent permitting and more front-line services so we can reduce delays to get shovels in the ground sooner, support economic growth and keep our communities safe from floods and other natural hazards.”

According to the provincial ministry, “Ontario currently has a fragmented system of 36 conservation authorities, each of which have different policies, standards, fees and levels of staffing and technical capabilities. This has led to unpredictable and inconsistent turnaround times for approvals across all conservation authorities, creating uncertainty and delays for builders, landowners and farmers seeking permits and undermining conservation authorities’ ability to protect communities from floods and natural hazards.”

The plan would see the current 36 conservation areas reduced to seven, with ERCA chair Molly Allaire stating the news came as a surprise when it first came out Oct. 31.

“Everyone was blindsided,” she said. “No one knew it was coming. No one had any heads up.”

Allaire said a map that was issued shows that the region Essex County and Windsor would stretch all the way to Cambridge. She noted the province has said there would be no job losses, but redeployments, but there were other questions she has.

Response times to issues was one issue she has a concern with, as Allaire stating a massive area could lead to delays.

“There are so many concerning questions,” said Allaire. “We don’t know the answers right now.”

Allaire pointed out they have been told the initiative would be rolled out in 2026 and fully implemented in 2027. She believes there is a plan in place, but ERCA is waiting to hear what the full plan is.

“Everyone is just really nervous but there is always worry about the unknown,” she said.

ERCA provides a number of services, Allaire added, and believed there are some residents who may not know the full slate of services the agency offers.

In addition to issuing permits, ERCA offers shoreline protection, deals with issues on erosion, drinking water protection, flooding and much more.

Allaire pointed out this region is surrounded by water on three sides and while amalgamations may work in some areas, she has doubts it would be effective here. 

“I don’t know that it would be effective for us,” she said.

The province says the OPCA “will provide centralized leadership, efficient governance, strategic direction and oversight of all conservation authorities. The agency will free-up resources for front-line conservation and ensure faster, more consistent and transparent permitting, while supporting conservation authorities in their core mandate of managing watersheds and protecting people and property from natural hazards in an efficient and consistent manner.”

The agency will be tasked with leading key modernization projects such as developing a single digital permitting platform, streamlining and standardizing service delivery by setting clear, provincewide performance standards and support their consistent application by conservation authorities with centralized data and updated floodplain mapping and overseeing the implementation of a regional, watershed-based consolidation of conservation authorities.

ERCA would become part of the Lake Erie Regional Conservation Authority.

It covers southwestern Ontario watersheds draining into Lake Erie, including the Thames, Grand, and Sydenham systems, supporting agriculture, industry, and shoreline communities.

Under the leadership of the new agency, the province says “conservation authorities will continue to deliver existing programs such as protecting people and property from natural hazards, drinking water source protection and the management of lands and recreational trails, including public access to local natural areas, as well as other recreational and educational activities.”

The government says it plans to introduce legislation to establish the proposed agency. The province plans to begin consultations with the public, municipalities, stakeholders, Indigenous communities and other partners on a watershed-based consolidation of conservation authorities, including the proposed regional boundaries of each authority.

The press release from the province maintains that more than half of all municipalities in areas served by conservation authorities fall within the jurisdiction of two or more conservation authorities. 

If the consolidation is implemented as proposed, this would be reduced by 63 per cent. It is believed by the Ontario government that consolidation would enable more consistent service delivery and more efficient resource and information sharing, making conservation authorities more responsive to the needs of the communities they serve.

Allaire said the matter will be discussed by the entire ERCA board at the Nov. 13 meeting.

Move to merge conservation authorities met with concern locally

By Ron Giofu