CLOCA gets clarity on ministry expecations

By Chris Jones/The Oshawa Express

After some confusion, Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority officials are clear on expectations from the provincial governments.
CLOCA and other conservation authorities recently received a letter from the province stating they should wind down activities outside their core mandate.
The letter came from Jeff Yurek, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.
CLOCA chief administrative officer Chris Darling told The Oshawa Express the letter was initially confusing because Conservation Authorities Act mandates conservation authorities provide programs and services related their core mandates.
Yet the legislation states organizations can also provide extra programs and services beyond those mandate, as long as they’re of value and benefit to their municipal partners.
But Darling says follow up discussions with Yurek have made things clearer.
“All the e-mail is indicating is that the province wants is for us to continue working with our municipal partners to identify the programs or services that we can deliver that they find beneficial and valuable that are outside of the core programs listed by the province,” says Darling.
In the letter, Yurek writes the province wants conservation authorities to re-focus their efforts on the risk of natural hazards, conservation and management of conservation authority-owned or controlled land, drinking water source protection, protection of the Lake Simcoe watershed, and other programs and services prescribed by regulation.
Yurek adds he will be reviewing all legislation and regulations which govern the province’s conservation authorities.
He hopes to “explore even more opportunities to re-focus their efforts and to ensure they are best serving the interests of the people on Ontario.”
However, in his follow-up e-mail, Yurek clarifies conservation authorities are not expected stop all of their programs and services outside of their core mandates, but work with their municipalities to prioritize them.
“The changes we are making through Bill 108, the More Homes, More Choice Act, to refocus conservation authorities to their core mandate is an opportunity to have them work in a more transparent and open way with municipalities so the public understands what is being paid for. Municipalities contribute a significant amount of money to conservation authorities’ annual budgets,” writes Yurek.
Example of local programs that don’t receive municipal funding the Watershed Festival every fall, and the Maple Syrup Festival in the spring.
“Both provide an excellent opportunity for environmental appreciation, awareness, and education,” he says. “Both of which are well received in our community and by our municipal partners.”
He explains both of these festivals are not paid for by taxpayers, but are instead paid for by a cost-recovery model.
It is essentially paid for through the sale of tickets, and by private sponsorships and donations, according to Darling.
“There’s no public cost savings by eliminating these festivals,” says Darling.
Yurek also writes conservation authorities should not proceed with any increases to fees or levies where legislation and regulations are already in place unless supported by their partner municipalities for 2020 and beyond.