“We are sounding the alarm that this is quite a change for us,” mentioned Countryside District Councillor Gary Oosterhof, a number one voice on the path of conservation preservation.
Oosterhof, a long-time Board member of the Cataraqui Area Conservation Authority (CRCA), put ahead a municipal movement that opposes provincial plans to fold three-dozen conservation authorities into seven regional our bodies.
CRCA, often known as Cataraqui Conservation Authority, would change into a part of the a lot bigger St. Lawrence Regional Conservation Authority, comprised of 46 municipalities in japanese Ontario, to supervise watershed administration, based on the province, which lately amended the Conservation Authorities Act to put the groundwork for consolidation.
Proposed Regional Conservation Authority areas. Picture through Metropolis of Kingston paperwork.
Conservation providers like flood forecasting, land use planning, leisure trails, and native governance might be eroded or eradicated underneath a bigger paperwork, Oosterhof warned.
Oosterhof mentioned the CRCA is an effective dimension with the 11 companion municipalities underneath its present jurisdiction, of which Kingston is the biggest, and supplies environment friendly providers with a $6.8 million annual finances. The Metropolis contributes about $2 million a yr.
“It doesn’t get done for a better price,” he mentioned of the CRCA’s current operations.
Different metropolis councillors shared his considerations and frustrations.
“Who’s asking for this?” questioned Kingscourt-Rideau District Councillor Brandon Tozzo, who can also be apprehensive about lowered native management and enter over conservation insurance policies.
Councillors rallied to help Oosterhof’s pre-Christmas movement affirming “strong support for the continued independence of the Cataraqui Conservation Authority (CCA).”
“This is one of those instances where bigger isn’t better,” added Pittsburgh District Councillor Ryan Boehme in a political debate to oppose the deliberate conservation amalgamation throughout the Council assembly held Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025.
Metropolis employees introduced an data report on the similar Council assembly that identified the province doesn’t intend to vary the mandated applications and providers of conservation authorities, however employees cautioned the longer term construction of regional conservation our bodies could “not be as nimble and responsive to local issues, development approvals, or conservation area management.”
The report additionally repeated provincial statements that regional consolidation wouldn’t lead to layoffs of front-line employees, and current conservation places of work would stay as discipline places of work.
However councillors aren’t satisfied.
“I don’t see this working as well,” mentioned Loyalist-Cataraqui District Councillor Paul Chaves.
Portsmouth District Councillor Don Amos (who serves as Council’s appointee on the CRCA Board together with Councillors Oosterhof, Lisa Osanic, and Wendy Stephen) instructed the conservation streamlining effort is “not going to bode well” relating to native accountability and monetary accountability.
“When you have a forced amalgamation and back office integration, sometimes it works… and most times it doesn’t end well for anybody except the taxpayer ends up paying more,” mentioned Amos.
He likened the controversial plan to the current provincial transfer to scrap pace cameras primarily based on Toronto-focused complaints from Premier Doug Ford that it become a municipal “cash grab.”
“This feels like a Toronto, once again, issue that’s being doled out to the rest of the province.”
Amos mentioned there isn’t any means that service ranges and neighborhood values will probably be preserved via a regional conservation authority of such magnitude.
The proposed St. Lawrence Regional Conservation Authority would embody watersheds flowing into the St. Lawrence River, coordinating flood and water administration throughout japanese Ontario, based totally on the Higher St. Lawrence, Decrease Ottawa River, and southern portion of the Central Ottawa River Secondary Watersheds.
Proposed St. Lawrence Regional Conservation Authority space. Picture through Metropolis of Kingston paperwork.
Municipalities merged into this regional body would span from Kingston to Cornwall and north to Ottawa and Carleton Place, overlaying 18,500 sq. kilometres — greater than thrice bigger than Prince Edward Island — in contrast with the CRCA’s current jurisdiction of three,800 sq. kilometres.
It stays unclear how the St. Lawrence Regional Conservation Authority’s governance mannequin could be structured with over 40 member municipalities. Every regional authority would fall underneath the ability of the newly-created Ontario Provincial Conservation Company.
Councillors scoffed at a employees report suggesting that if the present illustration mannequin is adopted, then the regional authority in japanese Ontario might see a board with as many as 70 appointed members.
The province put aside six weeks to listen to public suggestions on the proposed new conservation boundaries and standards for regional consolidation, however not on whether or not it ought to truly happen. The deadline to remark expired on Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, simply days after Council’s movement referred to as on the province to save lots of the prevailing construction.
A livid Tozzo mentioned the consolidation scheme quantities to the erosion of native powers of a system that’s already working simply effective.
He added: “This [deserves] a lump of coal in Doug Ford’s stocking, if I could do it.”
The total agenda for the newest assembly of Kingston Metropolis Council might be learn on the Metropolis’s web site (click on ‘View All’ on the backside of the listing underneath the heading ‘Meeting Calendar’ to get to the Metropolis’s calendar to view agendas for conferences which have already occurred). Conferences might be considered just about (throughout or after the assembly) within the video function inside the related Council agenda.
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Proposed Regional Conservation Authority areas. Picture through Metropolis of Kingston paperwork.
Conservation providers like flood forecasting, land use planning, leisure trails, and native governance might be eroded or eradicated underneath a bigger paperwork, Oosterhof warned.
Oosterhof mentioned the CRCA is an effective dimension with the 11 companion municipalities underneath its present jurisdiction, of which Kingston is the biggest, and supplies environment friendly providers with a $6.8 million annual finances. The Metropolis contributes about $2 million a yr.
“It doesn’t get done for a better price,” he mentioned of the CRCA’s current operations.
Different metropolis councillors shared his considerations and frustrations.
“Who’s asking for this?” questioned Kingscourt-Rideau District Councillor Brandon Tozzo, who can also be apprehensive about lowered native management and enter over conservation insurance policies.
Councillors rallied to help Oosterhof’s pre-Christmas movement affirming “strong support for the continued independence of the Cataraqui Conservation Authority (CCA).”
“This is one of those instances where bigger isn’t better,” added Pittsburgh District Councillor Ryan Boehme in a political debate to oppose the deliberate conservation amalgamation throughout the Council assembly held Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025.
Metropolis employees introduced an data report on the similar Council assembly that identified the province doesn’t intend to vary the mandated applications and providers of conservation authorities, however employees cautioned the longer term construction of regional conservation our bodies could “not be as nimble and responsive to local issues, development approvals, or conservation area management.”
The report additionally repeated provincial statements that regional consolidation wouldn’t lead to layoffs of front-line employees, and current conservation places of work would stay as discipline places of work.
However councillors aren’t satisfied.
“I don’t see this working as well,” mentioned Loyalist-Cataraqui District Councillor Paul Chaves.
Portsmouth District Councillor Don Amos (who serves as Council’s appointee on the CRCA Board together with Councillors Oosterhof, Lisa Osanic, and Wendy Stephen) instructed the conservation streamlining effort is “not going to bode well” relating to native accountability and monetary accountability.
“When you have a forced amalgamation and back office integration, sometimes it works… and most times it doesn’t end well for anybody except the taxpayer ends up paying more,” mentioned Amos.
He likened the controversial plan to the current provincial transfer to scrap pace cameras primarily based on Toronto-focused complaints from Premier Doug Ford that it become a municipal “cash grab.”
“This feels like a Toronto, once again, issue that’s being doled out to the rest of the province.”
Amos mentioned there isn’t any means that service ranges and neighborhood values will probably be preserved via a regional conservation authority of such magnitude.
The proposed St. Lawrence Regional Conservation Authority would embody watersheds flowing into the St. Lawrence River, coordinating flood and water administration throughout japanese Ontario, based totally on the Higher St. Lawrence, Decrease Ottawa River, and southern portion of the Central Ottawa River Secondary Watersheds.
Proposed St. Lawrence Regional Conservation Authority space. Picture through Metropolis of Kingston paperwork.
Municipalities merged into this regional body would span from Kingston to Cornwall and north to Ottawa and Carleton Place, overlaying 18,500 sq. kilometres — greater than thrice bigger than Prince Edward Island — in contrast with the CRCA’s current jurisdiction of three,800 sq. kilometres.
It stays unclear how the St. Lawrence Regional Conservation Authority’s governance mannequin could be structured with over 40 member municipalities. Every regional authority would fall underneath the ability of the newly-created Ontario Provincial Conservation Company.
Councillors scoffed at a employees report suggesting that if the present illustration mannequin is adopted, then the regional authority in japanese Ontario might see a board with as many as 70 appointed members.
The province put aside six weeks to listen to public suggestions on the proposed new conservation boundaries and standards for regional consolidation, however not on whether or not it ought to truly happen. The deadline to remark expired on Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, simply days after Council’s movement referred to as on the province to save lots of the prevailing construction.
A livid Tozzo mentioned the consolidation scheme quantities to the erosion of native powers of a system that’s already working simply effective.
He added: “This [deserves] a lump of coal in Doug Ford’s stocking, if I could do it.”
The total agenda for the newest assembly of Kingston Metropolis Council might be learn on the Metropolis’s web site (click on ‘View All’ on the backside of the listing underneath the heading ‘Meeting Calendar’ to get to the Metropolis’s calendar to view agendas for conferences which have already occurred). Conferences might be considered just about (throughout or after the assembly) within the video function inside the related Council agenda.
Supply hyperlink
