The Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority is pushing back against a provincial proposal that would dramatically reshape Ontario’s conservation system.
SVCA has submitted formal comments to the Environmental Registry of Ontario opposing a plan that would merge the province’s 36 conservation authorities into seven large regional bodies, overseen by a new provincial agency. Under the proposal, Saugeen Conservation would be folded into a proposed "Huron–Superior Regional Conservation Authority," expanding its reach from 15 municipalities to roughly 80.
SVCA General Manager and Secretary-Treasurer Erik Downing says the scale of the proposed merger threatens the local governance model that has guided conservation work in the Saugeen watershed for more than 75 years.
"At its core, conservation work is local," Downing said. "Flood forecasting, hazard management, and planning review depend on detailed watershed knowledge and strong relationships with municipalities and communities. Those strengths are not preserved by distance or scale. They are preserved by people on the ground who know the land and the risks."
The province has said consolidation could improve consistency and speed up housing approvals, but SVCA argues those goals can be met without dismantling watershed-based agencies. In its submission, the authority notes it already issues more than 99 per cent of permits within provincial timelines, with all planning reviews completed within municipal deadlines.
Downing says amalgamation could actually undermine the province’s stated objectives by introducing uncertainty around governance, staffing, and service delivery.
"Amalgamation brings a lot of uncertainty and potential chaos," he said in an interview with CKNXNewsToday.ca. "We have real concerns that the goal of improving permitting could be undermined by trying to reorganize governance, offices, and staffing at the same time."
SVCA also raises concerns about funding and accountability. While the province once covered up to half of conservation authority operating costs, Downing says provincial support for Saugeen Conservation has dropped to less than two per cent, leaving municipalities to fund nearly all services.
"Governance would be shifted away from the municipalities that created and continue to fund conservation authorities," Downing said, warning that rural voices could be diluted within a much larger regional structure.
Similar concerns have been raised by neighbouring conservation authorities. Earlier this month, Grey Sauble Conservation Authority General Manager Tim Lanthier told CKNXNewsToday.ca that consolidation could lead to higher costs and a loss of local accountability, noting that no cost-benefit analysis or detailed governance model has been released by the province.
SVCA says it supports modernization efforts such as digital permitting, shared technical resources, and clearer provincial standards, but believes those improvements should be pursued without removing local decision-making.
Saugeen Conservation is encouraging residents, municipalities, and stakeholders to submit comments on the proposal through the Environmental Registry of Ontario before the December 22, 2025 deadline.
