‘Attack’ on authorities

Dear Editor:

In yet another example of his lack of judgement, Doug Ford has expressed support for many of Trump’s policies with, of course,  the notable exception of tariffs. With his attack on Ontario’s conservation authorities through amalgamation, we see Ford, like Trump,  trying to undermine environmental regulation. 

Ontario’s conservation authorities were created through the passing of the Conservation Authorities Act in 1946 and are based on the underlying principles of organization on a watershed basis: a joint municipal-provincial partnership and local initiative and involvement. Conservation authorities have been effective in helping to reduce a number of often-interrelated environmental problems, including flood damage reduction through floodplain regulation. 

Now, however, the Ford government, through amalgamation, is attacking the conservation authorities and ignoring the principles that led to their creation in the first place.

The Ford government’s heavy handed approach to amalgamation is being done without the support of the conservation authorities’ municipal partners, and the creation of nine regional organizations through amalgamation will not provide for the same level of municipal-provincial partnership, nor the same level of local initiative and involvement that has existed until now.

Equally concerning is the Ford government’s proposal as part of the amalgamation to put the regional organizations under a new level of bureaucracy called the Ontario Provincial Conservation Agency.  Through the agency the provincial government will be able to exercise more control, to the benefit of Ford’s developer buddies, but to the detriment of the environment.

Dan Kennaley,
Rockwood