Gutting Conservation Authority Powers
Legislation stripped conservation authorities of their ability to block development, prioritizing construction over flood protection and environmental conservation.
🌲 An in effect Environment policy from November 2020 · Implemented · 97 · Well sourced
Updated · Created
"Refocusing Conservation Authorities"
Modernizing conservation authorities to focus on their core mandate of flood and erosion management, reducing red tape for development.
"Ontario currently has a fragmented system of conservation authorities, each of which have different policies, different standards, different fees."
— Todd McCarthy, Environment Minister, 2026
"Eliminating Independent Environmental Governance"
After stripping conservation authorities of ecological review powers via Bill 229 (2020) and Bill 23 (2022), Bill 97 (March 2026) proposes consolidating all 36 authorities into 9 provincial bodies — eliminating the majority of independent conservation governance. The government explicitly framed this as enabling "quicker housing and development approvals in sensitive areas."
- Bill 97 Schedule 3 consolidates 36 conservation authorities into 9 regional bodies (March 2026)source
- Bill 229 (2020) stripped ability to consider pollution, conservation, and ecological impactssource
- Minister gained power to override conservation authority decisions on development permitssource
- Comes amid more frequent flooding — conservation authorities are flood prevention expertssource
- Developers lobbied specifically for reduced conservation authority powerssource
This section represents editorial interpretation of documented evidence.
The Next One →
Get new investigations in your inbox.
One email per case. No spam. No tracking pixels. Unsubscribe anytime.