US EditionOntario to consolidate conservation authorities, create new oversight agency
Ontario will reduce 36 conservation authorities into seven regional bodies under a new agency to cut duplication and improve watershed management and permitting efficiency, officials say.
- On Oct. 31, 2025, the Ontario government proposes consolidating 36 conservation authorities into seven and creating the Ontario Provincial Conservation Agency to speed permitting for homes and local infrastructure projects.
- Faced with inconsistent approvals, the government found the fragmented 36 conservation authorities have differing policies and standards, causing delays for builders, landowners and farmers.
- Operationally, the plan would have OPCA provide centralized leadership, efficient governance, and strategic direction while freeing resources for front-line conservation staff and faster permitting.
- Consultations will soon begin with the public, municipalities, Indigenous communities and other partners, and the province says there will be no job losses as CEOs could take front-line roles.
- Officials say the move aims to align regional boundaries with natural watersheds and continue conservation authorities protecting communities and drinking-water sources.
34 Articles
34 Articles
Ontario NDP’s Stiles slams province’s plan to merge Conservation Authorities and response to Cami Assembly workers
Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles spent Friday on a tour of southwestern Ontario where she challenged the provincial government’s response to the loss of the BrightDrop EV delivery van from the Cami Assembly and expressed doubts in a plan to streamline Conservation Authorities.
Ontario’s Ford Government Creating New Conservation Authority Agency to Improve Service Delivery and ‘HELP GET SHOVELS IN THE GROUND FASTER’
Agency Will Oversee Key Improvement Projects, Including A Proposed Regional Consolidation “In the coming weeks the government plans to introduce legislation to establish the proposed agency. As part of that work, the government will soon begin consultations with the public, municipalities, stakeholders, Indigenous communities and other partners on a watershed-based consolidation of conservation authorities, including the proposed regional bounda…
Ontario to establish new conservation agency to modernize system and protect communities
The Ontario government plans to introduce legislation creating the Ontario Provincial Conservation Agency (OPCA), a new body aimed at improving efficiency, consistency and service delivery across the province’s 36 conservation authorities. The agency will oversee modernization projects designed to streamline permitting, strengthen flood protection and support faster approvals for housing and infrastructure projects. “Conservation authorities pla…
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