Conservation authorities and Conservation Ontario are stunned by a letter that the Province circulated recommending that conservation authorities start shutting down any programs not related to their ‘core mandate’ as described by the Province in the proposed changes to the Conservation Authorities Act earlier this year.
Conservation authorities (CAs) and their member municipalities received letters from Jeff Yurek, Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP), addressed to ‘whom it may concern’ on Friday evening (August 16) recommending that CAs start to wind down any programs not directly related to their ‘core mandate’.
“This is confusing and extremely disappointing,” said Kim Gavine, General Manager of Conservation Ontario, the Association which represents Ontario’s 36 conservation authorities.
Conservation authorities provide a wide variety of watershed management programs in partnership with all levels of government.
These programs help to reduce or prevent the costly and devastating damages of flooding, protect water resources, help to reduce pollution from getting to the Great Lakes and support healthy watersheds.
“We’ve been caught completely by surprise,” Gavine said.
“We’ve been working for months in good faith with the government to make a number of planning and development approvals streamlining changes to support their agenda to eliminate the deficit and implement the Housing Strategy.”
There was no consultation with Conservation Ontario or the CAs about this letter before it was circulated.
“I can only assume they are trying to avoid criticism about downloading conservation authorities’ programs and services to municipalities,” she said.
Conservation authorities’ provincial funding for natural hazards was reduced by 50 percent earlier this year.
Gavine pointed out that what the government is proposing isn’t taking into consideration the fact that the CA Act is still a work in progress.
“The changes being proposed by the government to the Conservation Authorities Act haven’t even been proclaimed and we are only starting discussions about the regulations that go with the legislation which will specify which actual programs and services are mandatory,” she said.
After mandatory programs and services are agreed upon by the Province and conservation authorities, then CAs can begin to negotiate the remaining non-mandatory programs with their member municipalities.
“It was a very pre-emptive move that disregards the process and relationship that conservation authorities and municipalities have together.”
Marketing and Communications Officer
Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority
The letter received from the Province was a complete surprise to Conservation Ontario and all Conservation Authorities (CAs), as there was no consultation prior to it being sent. It suggests that CAs begin to wind down non-mandatory programs, which is inconsistent with the new Conservation Authorities Act that allows CAs to enter into agreements with municipalities for non-mandatory programs.
The letter also asks that CAs not increase fees or levies, which would seriously restrict the program delivery at the Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority(GRCA).
The provincial government cut the Section 39 funding by 50% midway through the GRCA’s year, which saw the CA lose approximately $50,000.00 in funding, making budget preparation for 2020 challenging.
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
