Conservation authority consolidation moves ahead, but local impacts remain unclear

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard

KAWARTHA LAKES: The map of conservation authorities serving Kawartha Lakes is about to change dramatically.

Instead of four conservation authorities, covering different parts of the city, the municipality will be divided between two new regional bodies, when Ontario’s sweeping conservation authority restructuring takes effect next year.

City council received an update on the province’s consolidation plans, at their meeting on Tuesday, September 22nd, where officials warned, while the broad structure is becoming clearer, plenty of questions remain about how the changes will affect local services, and municipal costs.

Ontario is moving to replace its 36 existing conservation authorities with nine regional conservation authorities. Kawartha Lakes will be split between the Lake Huron Regional Conservation Authority and the Eastern Lake Ontario Regional Conservation Authority.

“The province has been focused on the formation of the OPCA, setting the legislative and base operational frameworks for the RCAs,” Chief Administrative Officer, Ron Taylor told council.

The city currently has four conservation authorities operating within its boundaries: Kawartha Region, Otonabee Region, Lake Simcoe Region, and Ganaraska Region.

The restructuring is being overseen by the newly created Ontario Provincial Conservation Agency (OPCA), which has received $20 million from the province to establish the organization, along with a commitment of $3 million annually during the transition.

The province claims, the consolidation is intended to reduce duplication, create more consistent processes, and free up resources for front-line conservation work.

For Kawartha Lakes, the Eastern Lake Ontario regional authority will bring together territory currently covered by Kawartha, Otonabee, and Ganaraska conservation authorities, while the Lake Huron authority will cover the former Lake Simcoe area.

The city is expected to have one representative on the 21-member Lake Huron board and two representatives on the 25-member Eastern Lake Ontario board.

The new regional boards will also be able to include people who are not elected municipal officials: provided they meet provincial criteria, related to governance, public administration, conservation programs, and other qualifications.

Local watershed councils are also planned, giving lower-tier municipalities, Indigenous communities, and other local stakeholders a role in providing input on regional conservation priorities.

However, the transition comes with a number of unanswered questions.

“The OPCA has indicated a key objective, in the transition to RCAs, is a continuation of service delivery in CA programs and services offered,” Mr. Taylor explained.

Existing agreements, between municipalities and conservation authorities, are expected to continue following the merger. That could include: programs and services related to planning, permitting, stewardship, and other conservation work.

However, the province has yet to provide specific direction on how some of those services will be delivered, once the new regional authorities are in place.

The financial picture is also still taking shape.

Kawartha Lakes will continue paying municipal levies to conservation authorities, but the city does not yet know how those costs will be divided between the two new regional organizations.

“There has been no indication as to what these costs or expenses may be,” Mr. Taylor said of potential costs associated with the provincial agency.

The transition is currently scheduled for February 1st, 2027, as conservation authorities prepare their 2027 budgets ahead of the change.

For now, the city is watching the province for more details.

“Many of the direct impacts to the municipality, resulting from amalgamation, remain unknown at this time,” Mr. Taylor added.

Council voted to receive the presentation and the accompanying report, with staff to continue assessing the implications as more information becomes available.