The Assault on Ontario's Conservation Authorities

 We all know the saying, "if you can't say something nice about someone it's better to say nothing at all". This never made much sense to me and just won't be possible as long as Doug Ford is premier of Ontario. He is small-minded, seemingly willfully ignorant, and therefore dangerous for all of us. This could be said about his government's response to a number of issues -- think education, healthcare, support for the disadvantaged, or those with autism. 

One of the scariest for me is the response to the climate crisis. This regressive Conservative government is blundering into this existential threat with no plan whatsoever, other than to dismantle the tepid efforts of the previous government and the federal government to mitigate it. 

The latest is further reducing the powers of the 36 Conservation Authorities in the province (they've already reduced funding), ostensibly to fast-track much needed housing. I've written before about the CAs in Ontario which have been studied by other jurisdictions around the world because of their effectiveness. This isn't just about going for a walk in the woods, or paddling one of the waterways, which are wonderful aspects of Conservation Authorities. CAs also monitor manage watersheds so that minimal damage is done along shorelines and to mitigate flooding. According to a worthwhile piece in The Narwhal:

The legislation will repeal 36 specific regulations that allow conservation authorities to directly oversee the development process. If passed, it would mean Ontario’s conservation authorities will no longer be able to consider “pollution” and “conservation of land” when weighing whether they will allow development. 

Part of our family lore is that I was brought home from the hospital as a newborn just after Hurricane Hazel in 1954. My father had recently been ordained as a United Church minister and had just begun serving a rural pastoral charge near Orillia. On the drive home they cautiously made their way through a flooded area but the car slid off the edge of the road. I was in a basket in the back seat -- no carseats then -- but all was well in the end. I tried to avoid developing a Moses complex during my years in ministry, but I would have come by it honestly. 

While Conservation Authorities began in the 1940s it was after Hurricane Hazel that the provincial government amended the Conservation Authorities Act to enable Conservation Authorities to acquire lands for recreation and conservation purposes, and to regulate that land for the safety of the community. More than 80 people died during that hurricane, most living in homes built on flood plains. 

Why in God's name would the current government ignore the lessons of the past and undermine the important work of Conservation Authorities? I struggle to know how to wake up others, including folk in faith communities to the importance of these issues. Maybe throw some split pea soup on a priceless piece of art? Nah, that doesn't work. 

Please excuse me while I go for a walk, perhaps in a Conservation Area, to get my blood pressure down...

https://thenarwhal.ca/ontario-conservation-authorities-development/#:~:text=The%20legislation%20will%20repeal%2036,whether%20they%20will%20allow%20development.