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URGENT – Take Action for Conservation Authorities, Webinar
1️⃣ Register for the Webinar, (register for Zoom link)
2️⃣ Take Action (sign petition)
Protect Our Conservation Authorities!
The Ford government wants to dismantle Ontario’s 36 Conservation Authorities (CAs) and replace them with seven much larger ones directed by a new provincially-appointed agency. The knowledgeable and effective Hamilton Conservation Area (HCA) would be combined with three others into a highly inefficient entity spanning 28 municipalities from Niagara Falls to the edge of Toronto. This would cripple local control of our watersheds. If approved, Hamilton’s taxpayer dollars (and those of other local agencies) would be diverted to a Queens Park-based agency while leaving us with only one or two voices out of maybe 70 provincial appointees.
Wednesday, January 21st, 2026, 7 – 8:30pm
This meeting is open to all—feel free to forward the registration link to others.
Special guests include:
- Brad Clark, Chair, Hamilton Conservation Authority Board of Directors
- Lisa Burnside, CAO, Hamilton Conservation Authority
- Tony Morris, Director, Conservation Policy and Campaigns at Ontario Nature
The HCA manages 11,744 acres of conservation lands, including the Dundas Valley, Eramosa Karst, Valens Lake, Christie Lake and major recreational trails. These natural areas are central to our local recreation, environmental health and quality of life. The knowledge and expertise of local CA professionals protect these lands and protect us all from flooding and loss of life and property.
Decisions about flooding mitigation and how these lands are used and cared for need to remain grounded in local priorities. The HCA plays a critical role in managing natural lands, mitigating flooding, reviewing development applications, issuing or denying permits in regulated flood zones, and helping protect people, property and infrastructure from flooding, erosion, and other natural hazards.
All of these things run contrary to Minister McCarthy’s stated goal for the CA mega-merger: “To reduce delays and get shovels in the ground sooner.”
Ontario Nature Petition
In addition to joining our webinar, Ontario Nature has an online petition, Re-empower Conservation Authorities, that you can customize or send as-is to Minister McCarthy.
To submit your public events for consideration, email Noah Cole at noahc@ontarionature.org. Please send well in advance and allow up to two weeks for posting. Events must be submitted by a member group or run jointly with Ontario Nature.