Blake Ellis & Heather Wright/The Independent

Petrolia Mayor Brad Loosley says conservation authorities have to “stick to their mandate” adding local officials have been “blocking development” in the town.

Loosley made the comments Jan. 12, as Petrolia council once again reaffirmed it did not like the province’s recent move which merges 38 local watershed into seven regional bodies.

The Ford government – which contributes only three or four per cent of the operational costs at conservation authorities – claims the move will save money and that no one will lose their jobs in the process. 

It has set up a provincial body, Ontario Provincial Conservation Agency, to oversee the merger including creating a new way to govern the regional boards with fewer municipal representatives involved in decision making.

Many municipal politicans across Lambton have voiced concern about the move, including Oil Springs Mayor Ian Veen at the Jan. 13 council meeting.

“What I don’t understand is what the government is doing,” said Veen about the provincial government. “They need to be in control of every single thing that is going on in Ontario.

“They are changing everything,” said Veen, as he pointed to the future amalgamation of the conservation authorities as well as the changes the province wants to make to the power grid. Now the province is taking over recycling. 

“It just seems like everything, they want to change it,” said Veen. “What was wrong with it?” he asked before responding to his own question, “Nothing, it was being run right. 

In Petrolia, Jan. 12, Councillor Liz Welsh asked council to support concerns about the merger after 14 municipalities sent letters voicing opposition to the merger. Welsh says the regional system doesn’t take into account local water issues.

“They were created to manage specific watersheds, and those the regions that they proposed incorporate a lot of different watersheds and that doesn’t always necessarily work. There was a very specific reason why they are where they are,” she said. 

Welsh says the authorities are non-profit organizations and all are on-board with the government’s plan to standardize regulations around development. 

Currently, there are different processes for people building homes in each conservation authority, however all follow rules laid out by the province already. Welsh is concerned about what is really going on. 

“What the province is proposing, I believe, will politicize decision making.”

Loosley was the only person at Petrolia council in support of the provincial plan.

“I do not always agree that bigger is better, except in this case, and these are the reasons why; I feel that they (the St. Clair Region Conservation Authority) have held up development in the Town of Petrolia and building homes faster is directed by the province. Seems to me that it has not been a priority to the Conservation Authority,” he said.

Conservation Ontario says the core mandate “to protect people and property from flooding and other natural hazards, and to conserve natural resources for economic, social and environmental benefits.”

“I also feel that all conservation boards need to be consistent and should look at the best practices from all boards,” continued Loosley.  

“They need to stick to their mandate. 

 “I’m not sure how running trailer parks has anything to do with flood control. 

“I am in favor of the change, and feel this is a step in the right direcion to improve better and faster service.”

The province is moving forward with the plan, the mayor said, encouraging those who are concerned to make suggestions to the province on how to make the new regional boards better, instead of opposing what’s going on.

Loosley says at a recent meeting “the ministry asked all conservation boards and all those present to submit suggestions on how they would like the new system to work. They also stated that many positions would be adjusted, but no one would lose their job, and all administration Conservation Authority buildings would remain.

“I believe all conservation boards should be working on suggestions to make this work and how they would like to see this move forward.”