Proposed Changes to Conservation Authorities – Public Input Requested
The Province of Ontario has introduced Bill 68, the Plan to Protect Ontario Act, along with an Environmental Registry of Ontario (ERO) posting, proposing to merge local conservation authorities into larger regional conservation authorities, overseen by a new Ontario Provincial Conservation Authority (OPCA).
Under this proposal, the Mattagami Region Conservation Authority (MRCA) would be merged with three other conservation authorities across northeastern Ontario including Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury and North Bay-Mattawa, creating a single regional authority serving 19 municipalities. This proposal was developed without prior consultation with conservation authorities or municipalities.
Conservation authorities manage flooding, protect water sources, review development proposals, and support environmental stewardship at the local level. While the Province has identified goals such as consistency, efficiency, and shared services, MRCA currently delivers its mandated programs efficiently, with low fees, strong municipal partnerships, and rapid permit approvals.
The proposed consolidation raises questions about:
- local decision-making and representation
- future costs to municipalities and residents
- management of local assets, reserves, and flood infrastructure
- service continuity during and after consolidation
- whether standardized policies will reflect local watershed conditions
The ERO posting is the public’s opportunity to review the proposal and provide comments before decisions are finalized. Community input is important to ensure local environmental conditions, municipal relationships, and service delivery needs are fully considered.
Public comments are accepted through the ERO until December 22, 2025. ERO Posting 025-1257
MRCA Board of Directors Opposes the Proposal
At its meeting on December 3, 2025, the MRCA Board discussed the potential impacts of the Province’s proposal on the programs and services that the MRCA provides to our member municipality, the City of Timmins. This resolution opposing the amalgamation of Conservation Authorities was passed during the meeting. MRCA Resolution 2025-1730
Key Considerations for Public Comments
When reviewing the proposal and submitting comments through the Environmental Registry of Ontario (ERO), you may wish to consider the following:
- Local decision-making: How might decisions affecting local flooding, land use, and environmental protection change if they are made by a large regional board with limited local representation?
- Costs and fees: Could consolidation and provincial standardization lead to higher municipal levies or increased permit fees for residents, landowners, and businesses? How will cost recovery levies by the OPCA impact future municipal levies?
- Local expertise: How will knowledge of local watersheds, rivers, and flood-prone areas be maintained across a large regional authority covering multiple, very different watersheds?
- Service delivery: Will services such as flood forecasting, permitting, and source water protection remain timely and effective during and after consolidation while staff resources are diverted to administrative amalgamation tasks?
- Management of local assets: How should locally funded lands, infrastructure, and financial reserves be protected if merged into a regional authority?
- One-size-fits-all approaches: Will standardized policies and fees reflect the unique environmental, planning, and zoning conditions of each community?
- Accountability: How will residents and municipalities hold decision-makers accountable in a multi-layer governance structure that includes both a regional authority and a provincial oversight body?
Public feedback helps the Province understand how proposed changes may affect communities differently across Ontario. The needs in our community are very different from the issues elsewhere in the province.
How to Submit a Comment
Public comments are submitted through the Environmental Registry of Ontario (ERO). You do not need technical or legal expertise to participate.
When commenting, you may wish to:
- describe how the proposed consolidation could affect your community, municipality, or local environment
- highlight the importance of local knowledge, timely services, and accountability
- share concerns about costs, fees, governance, or service continuity
- ask how local assets, infrastructure, and reserves would be protected under a regional authority
- explain why local watershed-based decision-making matters to you
Comments can be brief and written in your own words. Personal experience, local knowledge, and community perspectives are valuable and help inform decision-making.
Comments must be submitted through the ERO by December 22, 2025. ERO Posting 025-1257
Proposed Northeastern Ontario Regional Conservation Authority