Barbara Patrocinio

Reporter

Ontario is reshaping the way it manages water, land, and flood protection. The Ford government has announced plans to merge the province’s 36 conservation authorities into just seven regional bodies under a new provincial agency, changing how local watersheds are managed.

The first piece of legislation proposed by the government, which has not yet been tabled, would establish the Ontario Provincial Conservation Authority, whose job it is to standardize a "fragmented, inconsistent, and outdated" system.

The details of cutting 36 agencies to seven, including redrawing maps and operationalizing the new system, would be covered by a separate bill that would follow, which is likely going to be introduced in the spring.

Officials said they would be using performance indicators for conservation authorities, but offered few details of what they would look like.

They also would not say what would happen to authorities who fail to meet the new standards.

The government says the reform will make approvals faster and more consistent. But conservation experts warn it could also make decision-making more political and less rooted in local science.

Here’s what to know about what conservation authorities are, how they work, and what could change under the new system.

Conservation authorities (CAs) are local watershed management agencies that deliver programs and services to protect people, property, and the environment from natural hazards like flooding and erosion. They also conserve natural resources such as forests, wetlands, and water systems.

Each authority manages a watershed, the area of land that drains into a body of water, such as a river or lake. Ontario is the only province or territory in Canada with this system, which is governed by the Conservation Authorities Act.

CAs were first established in 1946 to respond to widespread issues of flooding, drought, erosion, and deforestation. Their role expanded after Hurricane Hazel in 1954, when catastrophic flooding led to dozens of deaths across southern Ontario. Since then, conservation authorities have played a central role in flood forecasting, regulating development near waterways, and protecting natural areas that absorb stormwater.

Until last Friday, Ontario had 36 conservation authorities serving 444 municipalities, and with current changes, the province will have seven, serving the same number.

Conservation authorities collectively manage more than 145,000 hectares of land, second only to the Crown, including floodplains, wetlands, and habitats for species at risk.

What powers do Conservation Authorities have?

Conservation authorities regulate development in floodplains, wetlands, and other areas prone to natural hazards. Before a municipality or developer can build near a river, stream, or wetland, they must obtain a permit from the local conservation authority.

They also provide science-based advice to municipalities when planning new developments, ensuring growth doesn’t worsen flooding or damage local ecosystems.

Beyond permitting, CAs run programs like tree planting, water quality monitoring, wetland restoration, and outdoor education. Many also manage parks, trails, and conservation areas open to the public.

Funding for conservation authorities comes from a mix of sources:

Municipal levies (the largest share), paid by local governments that benefit from CA services.

Provincial funding, mostly for flood forecasting, mapping, and emergency management.

User fees from permits, recreation areas, and educational programs.

Donations and grants, since most are registered charities or non-profit organizations.

In other words, taxpayer dollars help fund conservation authorities, primarily through municipal property taxes. The exact amount varies by region and by the scale of programs offered. It is also not clear yet how the changes will affect cost to taxpayers, or if there will be changes at all.

Neither the Environment Ministry nor the Finance Ministry replied to 

In late October, Environment Minister Todd McCarthy and newly appointed Chief Conservation Officer Hassan Basit announced legislation that would merge Ontario’s 36 conservation authorities into larger regional jurisdictions. The new structure will be overseen by a central body called the Ontario Provincial Conservation Agency.

According to the government, the current system is “fragmented.” Each conservation authority has its own policies, standards, and fee structures, which the province says leads to unpredictable delays for builders, landowners, and farmers seeking permits.

The new agency, the government says, will streamline and modernize the system by:

Creating a single digital permitting platform for faster approvals;

Setting province-wide performance standards to ensure consistent decisions;

Updating floodplain mapping with centralized data; and

Overseeing the regional consolidation of CAs.

The government argues that centralization will “free up resources for front-line conservation” and ensure consistent service delivery while maintaining the core mandate of protecting people and property from natural hazards.

Who supports the change — and who doesn’t?

Interestingly, the push to “right-size” Ontario’s conservation authorities didn’t originate with environmentalists, but with the development industry.

The Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD), which represents over 1,300 construction companies, has long argued that the system is inefficient and unevenly staffed. Some smaller conservation authorities, particularly in eastern and southwestern Ontario, are under-resourced and lack technical capacity.

In a letter to the province in 2022, BILD said it supports the government’s effort to modernize conservation authorities but urged “caution” in reducing their powers too drastically. The group said that the homebuilding industry depends on the expertise of conservation authorities, not only to prevent environmental damage, but also to protect homes and cities from natural hazards.

BILD’s letter then  suggested two major reforms:

Amalgamate smaller authorities to improve efficiency; and

Proceed carefully when reviewing whether conservation authority lands should be opened for development.

Now in face of what was proposed, Dave Wilkes, BILD’s president & CEO, said that the consultations are welcomed.

“Any measures that can speed housing approvals, standardize processes and enhance transparency to enable more housing while continuing to protect the province’s environment and watershed will have a beneficial impact,” he said.

Experts and local officials warn that while consolidation could improve efficiency, it may weaken local decision-making. Each watershed faces unique ecological and flooding challenges, merging them into larger regional units could make it harder to tailor responses to local conditions.

“Amalgamation is a bigger challenge,” said Angela Coleman xxxx, noting that while small conservation authorities are often underfunded, each oversees a unique landscape that requires specialized knowledge.

Critics also worry the new centralized agency could make decisions more political and less science-based, particularly if permit approvals are tied to housing targets or development timelines.

The province has opened a 45-day public consultation period on the proposed regional boundaries for the new conservation authority structure. Feedback can be submitted through the Environmental Registry of Ontario.

Coleman said the organization supports modernization efforts and additional resources for under-resourced authorities but also emphasized that details matter.

“Further clarity is needed on how amalgamation will impact local communities,” Coleman said, adding that Conservation Ontario shares the province’s stated goal of maintaining strong watershed-based management.

Asked by reporters at Queen’s Park earlier this Monday, the environment minister couldn’t say if his planned overhaul of the province’s conservation authorities will be fast-tracked through the legislature and bypass committee.

The government said last week that the changes to conservation authorities will happen after consultations next spring. Board members will continue to work until the province changes its governance structures after the local elections in October.

Explained: What Ontario’s Conservation Authorities Do — and Why the Province Is Merging Them

In other words, taxpayer dollars help fund conservation authorities, primarily through municipal property taxes. The exact amount varies by region and by the scale of programs offered.

“Amalgamation is a bigger challenge,” said Angela Coleman, general manager of Conservation Ontario, noting that while small conservation authorities are often underfunded, each oversees a unique landscape that requires specialized knowledge.

In late October, Environment Minister Todd McCarthy and newly appointed Chief Conservation Officer Hassan Basit announced legislation that would merge Ontario’s 36 conservation authorities into larger regional jurisdictions. 

What Ontario’s Conservation Authorities do — and why is the province merging them?

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