|
In 2019, I broke the news that the Doug Ford government would weaken the role of the conservation authorities that have protected Ontario watersheds for nearly 80 years.
I learned through a 5 p.m. phone call on a hot summer day: a panicked source read an internal document saying the government would ask all conservation authorities to “wind down” non-essential activities.
The obvious follow-up question: “Okay, but what does that mean?”
It took five years to get an answer.
Conservation authorities are the caretakers of lush natural spaces that stretch through, and beyond, Ontario’s growing urban landscape. They are unique to this province and take a bird’s eye view of how human activity impacts the environment, especially our water. That often puts them in positions of having to say no to things, especially when those things are developers who propose to interfere with floodplains and wetlands.
Because of this, conservation authorities have often found themselves in the government’s crosshairs. When the Ford government came to power with a mandate to build housing fast, it decided the power of conservation authorities to review development applications was delaying construction and began proposing ways to “streamline” things.
This tension played out for five years. In that time, conservation authorities tried to work with the government to address its concerns while still protecting watersheds, but Ontario kept reducing their powers. There was plenty of pushback, as we reported on after being leaked document after document. People resigned; the public protested.
But when the battle finally ended last month, the Ford government’s new official regulations for conservation authorities still limited their powers and reduced their mandates.
|
