By: Pam Wright, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Chatham Voice
Sweeping changes that could see the Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority merge with six other authorities is being proposed by the province.
If approved, the LTVCA will become part of the Lake Erie Region Conservation Authority, stretching all the way from the Grand River in Kitchener to Windsor and north to Lake Huron beyond Grand Bend.
However, that doesn’t change anything at the local level for the time being.
“It’s business as usual,” said LTVCA CEO Mark Peacock. “We are still providing services to our community and we will work with the government to ensure local delivery of services is continued.”
On Oct. 31, the Ontario Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) announced a plan to create a provincial board-governed agency, called the Ontario Provincial Conservation Agency, with the goal of providing leadership, governance and strategic direction to conservation authorities.
In a media release, MECP Minister Todd McCarthy said the oversight body will address a “fragmented” system and cut red tape to spur the economy. A one-stop permitting process will also be introduced.
“The new, dedicated agency would work with conservation leaders to ensure faster, more transparent permitting and more front-line services so we can reduce delays to get shovels in the ground sooner, support economic growth and keep our communities safe from floods and other natural hazards,” McCarthy said.
How the mergers will roll out and how the new system will be financed remains to be seen.
Under the current funding model for conservation authorities, a significant portion of the money comes from municipalities.
“There’s a saying that those who pay should have a say,” Peacock explained. “Right now, municipal money goes toward improving the watershed in Chatham-Kent.”
The conservation authority legislation has yet to be introduced into the Ontario legislature and a consultation process must take place prior to any changes.
Any changes to existing conservation authority boards will come into play after the municipal elections in 2026.
The ministry has said there will be no changes to service levels and no job losses.
The LTVCA was officially formed on Feb. 2, 1961.
