On March 10, the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks announced that it intends to consolidate Ontario’s 36 conservation authorities into nine regional conservation authorities. Under this proposal, Grey Sauble Conservation Authority (GSCA) would be merged with Saugeen Valley, Maitland Valley, Ausable Bayfield, Nottawasaga Valley, and Lake Simcoe Region conservation authorities to form the Lake Huron Regional Conservation Authority, extending from Lake Simcoe to approximately Port Franks.
The Province has stated that the proposed consolidation is intended to address concerns related to consistency, administrative duplication, outdated data systems, and limited transparency across conservation authorities. GSCA maintains that these concerns are being overstated and relate primarily to elements of the planning and development review process and do not reflect the full range of services delivered by conservation authorities, including watershed management, natural hazard mitigation, source water protection, land stewardship, and community programs.
“The Minister has stated that they’re listening to the concerns that were raised through the ERO process,” said Tim Lanthier, CAO of Grey Sauble Conservation Authority. “If this is true, we’re not convinced that the proposed changes address these concerns. Our previous concerns about the loss of the local rural voice, rural priorities and rural representation remain largely unaddressed, as do concerns regarding transition timelines. A cursory review of the submissions available on the ERO website suggest that the majority of comments were opposed to the proposed consolidation, suggesting that the Province use other tools instead.”
Under the proposal, governance would remain municipal using a representation by population model but shift from lower tier municipal representation to upper tier and single tier representation. For GSCA and Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority combined, this would mean representation through Grey County and Bruce County, moving from 26 elected officials representing the individual lower tier municipalities to likely one representative from each County. This also means that the high growth areas around Lake Simcoe would carry the bulk of the representation. The Province has also proposed the creation of Local Watershed Councils, although details regarding their role and authority have not yet been provided.
“Local knowledge and accountability are essential to effective watershed management,” said Scott Greig, Chair of the Grey Sauble Conservation Authority Board of Directors. “As this proposal moves forward, it will be important to ensure that local voices continue to play a meaningful role in protecting our watersheds and communities.”
The Province’s plan would reduce Ontario’s conservation authorities from 36 to nine by early 2027. A transition steering committee consisting of conservation authority CAOs and one board member from each authority, led by a new Project Executive, would oversee the process, supported by the newly created Ontario Provincial Conservation Agency and $3 million in annual provincial funding. Conservation authority funding from the Province was cut by approximately $3.5 million in 2019.
Throughout the proposed transition period, GSCA will continue to deliver its programs and services without interruption and will work constructively with the Province, Conservation Ontario, partner conservation authorities, and municipal partners as more information becomes available. Provincial amendments to the Conservation Authorities Act are expected to be introduced in the coming weeks, and GSCA will keep municipalities and the public informed as the process develops.
