Ontario to consolidate conservation authorities

Ontario is proposing to consolidate its 36 conservation authorities into seven. The Environment Minister says this will improve services and prevent job losses.

Environment Minister Todd McCarthy announced on Friday that the government will soon introduce legislation to establish a new provincial agency to oversee the consolidated conservation authorities and consult on the proposed boundaries of the new regional authorities.

 "Ontario's conservation authorities are essential to watershed management and public safety across our province," he said.

 "Our government is committed to ensuring they are strong, effective, and prepared to meet today's challenges. But right now, Ontario has 36 conservation authorities that operate largely independently, with fragmented and outdated data systems and a lack of uniformity in standards and service delivery."

 McCarthy said that more than 100 municipalities currently fall within the boundaries of two or more conservation authorities and are therefore subject to different rules and procedures.

He said the proposed areas for the seven new regional conservation authorities would better align with natural catchment areas and help reduce duplication.

 McCarthy stated that no jobs would be lost as a result of this merger.

He said, "This is not a reduction, but a consolidation and integration, meaning all communities currently served by conservation authorities will continue to be served by conservation authorities."

However, McCarthy said some management positions would be "redeployed" to front-line roles, including the CEOs of the 36 conservation authorities.

 He said, "They will have the opportunity to be redeployed to front-line services—that's what I mean when I say no job losses are expected."

 "This will definitely be a transformative opportunity. We want the best and brightest people on the front lines, where it will make a difference... We live in a world where people don't retire at 65, they just take on a new field of work. Look at me. I was a lawyer for 33 years, and now I'm a politician."

 The government will soon introduce legislation to establish the Ontario Provincial Conservation Agency, which it says will provide centralized leadership and strategic direction. The agency will be expected to develop a single platform for permits, set province-wide standards, and oversee integration.

 The government said these changes to conservation authorities are expected to be implemented after consultation next spring, and current board members will remain in office until changes to the province's administrative structure are made after next October's municipal elections.

 A housing law passed by the Progressive Conservative government a few years ago reduced the role of conservation authorities, including limiting the areas they could consider in development permits and removing factors such as pollution and land conservation.