August 22, 2019 – Mr. Jeff Yurek, Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP), referred to the inability of municipalities to “control the spending” of Conservation Authorities, when responding to questions surrounding his letter sent to Conservation Authorities suggesting they “wind down” so called non-core programs.

“Minister Yurek’s comments reflect a misunderstanding of the relationship between Conservation Authorities and their member municipalities and, more importantly, how individual municipalities are represented on the Conservation Authority’s Board of Directors,” said Ian Wilcox, General Manager of the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA).

Each Conservation Authority is governed by a Board of Directors. These Directors are appointed by the watershed municipalities and most are municipal councilors.

“The number of representatives each municipality appoints to the Board reflects the population of that municipality within the watershed,” said UTRCA Chairperson, Sandy Levin. “In other words, a municipality with a larger population will have more representatives on the Board of Directors than a municipality with a smaller population. This system is similar to how electoral district boundaries and representation in Ontario are determined.”

The Conservation Authority’s Board of Directors makes decisions democratically, in just the same way that a municipal council or the provincial government does. Not all decisions are unanimous and, while some municipalities may not agree with the Board’s decisions, they have had representation and been involved in the decision making.

“Each Director brings their municipality’s concerns and program priorities to the UTRCA Board table,” said Mr. Levin. “Decisions, including what we do or don’t do in our local communities, as well as the budget and municipal levy, are all made by this municipally appointed Board.”

“The Conservation Authority model has worked well for the past 70 years,” said Mr. Wilcox. “The Minister’s directive goes against the very foundation of Ontario’s Conservation Authorities, which were built on three principles: local decision making, watershed boundaries, and shared funding. His argument that this system needs to be overhauled suggests he has either been given poor information or is courting support from specific municipalities.”

Contact: Ian Wilcox, General Manager, Upper Thames River Conservation Authority