Proposed Changes to Conservation Authorities – Your Feedback Needed Before December 22

The Risks of Centralizing Our Local Conservation Authority

As your Ward 11 Councillor and a Board Member of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority, I’ve seen firsthand how NPCA staff deliver practical, science-based stewardship of our watershed, woodlands, and greenspace in Glanbrook.

I’ve worked directly with them to upgrade Binbrook Conservation Area—improvements that make it better for families while protecting water quality. I’ve also watched them partner effectively with the volunteers of the Glanbrook Conservation Committee to maintain healthy tree cover and wildlife habitat.

That local partnership is exactly what works.

That’s why I have serious concerns about the Province’s Bill 68, which would dissolve our 36 local Conservation Authorities—including the NPCA—and replace them with just 7 massive regional bodies governed by a new centralized Ontario Provincial Conservation Agency run out of Toronto.

This is a major step away from local decision-making.

Our NPCA understands Glanbrook’s specific flood risks, soil conditions, and rural drainage needs in a way a distant centralized agency never will. Moving authority to provincially appointed officials risks overriding local knowledge with one-size-fits-all rules that don’t fit our community.

Most concerning, this structure creates a vehicle for provincial priorities to override local decision making based on science. It opens the door for development to take precedence, making our conservation lands —built and sustained through decades of community action—far more vulnerable to being reshaped or sold for housing at the expense of functional watersheds, tree canopy, animal habitat, and long-term resilience.

We all want more housing—our kids and grandkids need it—but meeting those demands shouldn’t come at the cost of sacrificing the autonomy of local conservation authorities or the pristine lands they oversee. Hamilton already has the land available to meet our housing needs for many decades to come.

For these reasons, I am moved to share my apprehensions about this centralization plan and encourage residents to speak up before the comment period closes.

🚨 MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD

We have until December 22, 2025 to submit feedback:

1. Visit the Environmental Registry of Ontario (ERO), search posting #025-1257, and leave your comment. https://ero.ontario.ca/notice/025-1257

2. Want to share your thoughts with our provincial representative? Email your local MPP's — let's make sure our voice is heard at Queen's Park too! 💪

3. Share this post—let’s make sure Glanbrook’s voice is heard loud and clear.