Municipalities are unsure how Ontario’s plan to consolidate conservation authorities (CAs) will affect their relationships with CAs. Last month, the Ford government decided to move forward with the proposed amendments to the Conservation Authorities Act, consolidating Ontario’s 36 conservation authorities into just nine.
CAs have been an important partner to municipalities since their creation in 1946, assisting municipalities in managing natural resources on a watershed basis. Historically, the creation of each CA has been based on a request of two or more municipalities within a common watershed. Municipalities then appoint the CA’s board of directors, who are often elected officials, and these officials set the policy and direction of the authority.
