Opposition to the Amalgamation of Conservation Authorities

The Public Gallery wrote no story on this item. What follows is the city’s own record of what happened to it, as filed: nothing on this page is summarised or scored by us.

The decision

2025-12-16 · Toronto City Council · adopted

As filed

City Council on December 16 and 17, 2025, adopted the following: 1. City Council advise the Government of Ontario that it strongly opposes the proposed forced amalgamation of Conservation Authorities as outlined in Environmental Registry of Ontario 025-1257. 2. City Council request the City Manager, in consultation with the Executive Director, Environment, Climate and Forestry, to prepare an Environmental Registry of Ontario submission to the Province outlining concerns and participate in any future consultations on this or related proposals.

Show the rest of As filed, 1,565 more characters as filed

3. City Council request the Government of Ontario to: a. maintain the current watershed-based governance model that ensures local accountability, and engage in meaningful consultation with municipalities to address any specific provincial concerns regarding efficiency without dismantling local governance and environmental protection; b. keep Toronto and Region Conservation Authority's watershed boundaries and governance structure which services over 5 million residents in the Greater Toronto Area intact; c. abandon the proposed costly re-naming of Toronto and Region Conservation Authority to Central Lake Ontario Regional Conservation Authority; d. ensure that all costs of the new Ontario Provincial Conservation Agency and transition to the proposed regional consolidation of Ontario's conservation authorities be entirely borne by the Province; e. properly fund Conservation Authorities instead of creating a new costly Provincial Agency that is enabled to makes decision for and recover costs from Conservation Authorities' which are funded by municipalities such as the City of Toronto; and f. repeal clauses in Bill 68, Schedule 3 which enables the new Provincial Agency to recover costs from conservation authorities in future legislative updates. 4. City Council forward this item to the Premier of Ontario, the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, all Toronto Members of Provincial Parliament, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, and the Toronto Region Conservation Authority.

On the agenda

As the city filed it

The Conservation Authorities Act (1946) established Conservation Authorities as local, watershed-based bodies to manage natural resources, flooding and development in partnership with municipalities. Their jurisdiction and responsibilities were broadened after the devastation of Hurricane Hazel, and are even more critical now that climate breakdown is worsening the severity of erosion, flooding and storms. Conservation Authorities are governed by Boards of Directors comprised of municipally elected officials or appointees, ensuring direct accountability to local taxpayers and residents, and responsiveness to local priorities.

Show the rest of As the city filed it, 1,272 more characters as filed

This funding model relies heavily on municipal levies and self-generated revenue, with the Province of Ontario contributing approximately 5 percentor less to operating budgets. The Toronto Region Conservation Authority has deservedly earned international recognition for its exceptional, highly skilled, outstanding work protecting Toronto's residents, floodplains and natural areas. Part of that essential work is to refuse to permit real estate development on hazard lands where it does not belong. The current provincial government has repeatedly interfered with this essential work of conservation authorities. It has now introduced Schedule 3 of Bill 68 (and Environmental Registry of Ontario posting 025-1257), to eviscerate municipal watershed-based control of development in hazard lands by amalgamating Ontario's 36 Conservation Authorities into seven (7) centralized regional entities governed by a new "Ontario Provincial Conservation Agency". This forced amalgamation and subordination will dilute local decision-making, sever the critical link between local funding and local service delivery, imperil the essential work of the Toronto Region Conservation Authority and ignore the unique hydrological and environmental differences between distinct watersheds.

Staff recommended

Councillor Dianne Saxe recommends that: 1. City Council advise the government of Ontario that it strongly opposes the proposed forced amalgamation of Conservation Authorities as outlined in Environmental Registry of Ontario 025-1257. 2. City Council calls upon the government of Ontario to: a. Pause implementation of Bill 68, Schedule 3; b. Maintain the current watershed-based governance model that ensures local accountability; and c.

Show the rest of Staff recommended, 523 more characters as filed

Engage in meaningful consultation with municipalities to address any specific provincial concerns regarding efficiency without dismantling local governance and environmental protection. 3. City Council directs the Clerk to send a copy of this resolution to the Premier of Ontario, the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, all Toronto Members of Provincial Parliament, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, and the Toronto Region Conservation Authority.

Considered

2025-12-04 · Infrastructure and Environment Committee · amended
Decision as filed
Councillor Dianne Saxe recommends that: 1. City Council advise the government of Ontario that it strongly opposes the proposed forced amalgamation of Conservation Authorities as outlined in Environmental Registry of Ontario 025-1257. 2. City Council request the City Manager, in consultation with the Executive Director, Environment, Climate and Forestry, to prepare an Environmental Registry of Ontario submission to the Province outlining concerns and participate in any future consultations on this or related proposals.
Show the rest of Decision as filed, 1,587 more characters as filed
3. City Council request the Government of Ontario to: a. Maintain the current watershed-based governance model that ensures local accountability, and Engage in meaningful consultation with municipalities to address any specific provincial concerns regarding efficiency without dismantling local governance and environmental protection; b. Keep Toronto and Region Conservation Authority's watershed boundaries and governance structure which services over 5 million residents in the Greater Toronto Area intact; c. Abandon the proposed costly re-naming of Toronto and Region Conservation Authority to Central Lake Ontario Regional Conservation Authority; d. Ensure that all costs of the new Ontario Provincial Conservation Agency and transition to the proposed regional consolidation of Ontario's conservation authorities be entirely borne by the Province; e. Properly fund Conservation Authorities instead of creating a new costly Provincial Agency that is enabled to makes decision for and recover costs from Conservation Authorities' which are funded by municipalities such as the City of Toronto. f. Repeal clauses in Bill 68, Schedule 3 which enables the new Provincial Agency to recover costs from conservation authorities in future legislative updates. 4. City Council request the City Clerk to forward this item to the Premier of Ontario, the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, all Toronto Members of Provincial Parliament, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, and the Toronto Region Conservation Authority.
2025-12-16 · Toronto City Council · adopted

On the record

The item as the City filed it

More from this meeting

The whole meeting