Province says reforms will streamline approvals, strengthen watershed management and support housing development
The Ontario government is moving forward with plans to overhaul the province’s conservation authority system, proposing to consolidate the current 36 conservation authorities into nine regional entities in a bid to streamline services, reduce administrative duplication and support faster approvals for housing and infrastructure projects.
The initiative, announced Tuesday by the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, follows months of consultations with municipalities, conservation authorities, Indigenous communities and other stakeholders. The changes are intended to create a more consistent regulatory framework across the province while reinforcing conservation authorities’ role in watershed management and natural hazard protection.
The provincial government said the move is part of a broader effort to reduce red tape and strengthen Ontario’s economic competitiveness as builders face growing pressure to accelerate construction amid economic uncertainty and potential tariff impacts.
“Ontario’s improved approach would feature watershed-based regional conservation authorities operating under consistent provincial standards, modern tools and strengthened capacity – delivering stronger watershed management, flood resilience and better support for housing and infrastructure growth,” said Todd McCarthy, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. “We listened and used feedback from last fall’s consultations to refine and strengthen our plan, including optimizing regional boundaries to better reflect local needs, knowledge and relationships.”
Currently, Ontario’s conservation system is composed of 36 independent authorities, each operating with its own policies, processes and administrative structures. According to the province, those differences have created inconsistencies in permitting timelines and regulatory standards, leading to uncertainty for developers, farmers and landowners.
Officials say consolidating the agencies into larger regional bodies would standardize practices across jurisdictions and improve operational efficiency. The government argues the changes would enable conservation authorities to redirect resources toward front-line services such as watershed management, flood mitigation and environmental protection.
The plan also aligns with the province’s broader housing strategy, which seeks to speed up approvals for new homes and related infrastructure while maintaining environmental safeguards.
To oversee the transition, Ontario established the Ontario Provincial Conservation Agency (OPCA) through amendments to the Conservation Authorities Act passed in November 2025. The new agency will provide governance, strategic direction and oversight for conservation authorities as the restructuring process unfolds.
Under the proposed framework, the OPCA would coordinate the consolidation of the 36 authorities into nine regional conservation authorities, with a transition timeline targeting early 2027 if legislative amendments are approved.
The agency will also play a role in improving customer service and ensuring consistent decision-making across regions, according to the province.
With centralized leadership and independent oversight through the OPCA, the government expects the new system to improve transparency and operational consistency while reducing administrative duplication across the conservation authority network.
The government says conservation authorities will continue delivering their core programs and services during and after the transition. These include watershed management, natural hazard mitigation, drinking water source protection and oversight of lands and recreational trails managed by the authorities.
Conservation authorities also play a key regulatory role in reviewing and issuing permits for development projects located in environmentally sensitive areas such as floodplains, wetlands and shorelines.
To maintain local knowledge and input within the new regional structure, the province plans to require each regional conservation authority to establish one or more local watershed councils. These councils would help identify local priorities and provide guidance on conservation programming within specific watersheds.
While governance will remain municipal, representation will shift under the new system. Regional municipalities, counties and cities will continue appointing members to conservation authorities, while lower-tier municipalities such as towns and townships will no longer be participating municipalities.
Provincial officials say the goal is to maintain strong local representation while improving decision-making at a broader watershed scale.
“Today marks a milestone for conservation in Ontario. By building a modern, more unified system, we’re protecting local expertise while supporting front-line programs that communities rely on,” said Hassaan Basit, Ontario’s Chief Conservation Executive. “The Ontario Provincial Conservation Agency would lead a smooth, well-supported transition, ensuring conservation authorities have the tools and resources they need every step of the way to deliver effective watershed management programs, meeting the needs of today and the future.”
To support the transition, the province said it will provide the OPCA with $3 million in annual funding beginning in 2026. The funding will help conservation authorities adapt to the new regional framework and maintain operational continuity during the consolidation process.
Once the transition is complete, the funding is expected to support program improvements across the new regional conservation authorities.
The province says the reforms are designed to modernize what it describes as a fragmented and inconsistent system, allowing conservation authorities to share resources and information more efficiently while responding more effectively to the needs of communities across Ontario.