Lambton County councillors are urging the provincial government to pause its proposed plan to amalgamate Ontario’s conservation authorities. The request followed a motion from Dawn-Euphemia Mayor Alan Broad, which was approved during Wednesday’s Lambton County Council meeting. The motion calls on the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks, as well as the premier, to reconsider the timeline and scope of the restructuring.
Earlier this month, the province announced its intention to merge Ontario’s 36 conservation authorities into seven larger regional bodies under a new Ontario Provincial Conservation Agency (OPCA). Under the proposal, the nearby Upper Thames and Grand River conservation authorities would join Long Point, Catfish, Kettle Creek, Lower Thames, and St. Clair within the Lake Erie Regional Conservation Authority. Meanwhile, the Maitland Valley, Ausable Bayfield, Saugeen, and Grey Sauble authorities would be grouped with Nottawasaga Valley and Lake Simcoe to form the Huron-Superior Regional Conservation Authority.
The province has indicated that, if approved, consolidation would occur in stages, with legislation to formally establish the OPCA expected to be introduced soon.
Written by: C. Soares
