Members of The Blue Mountains council have expressed skepticism about the possible merger of Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority and the Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority.
At its meeting on Feb 18, council briefly considered a letter it received from Randy Greenlaw, Mayor of the Town of Oro-Medonte. The letter advised The Blue Mountains that Oro-Medonte council had passed a resolution directing staff to call a meeting to discuss the potential merger of the two conservation authorities.
“The Conservation Authorities Act of Ontario, Part Ill, Section 11 provides for a participating municipality to call a meeting to consider the establishment of one authority to have jurisdiction over the areas that are under separate jurisdictions,” the resolution stated. “Now and therefore, be it resolved that the council of the township of Oro-Medonte hereby directs staff to call the meeting to consider amalgamating the authorities.”
Coun. June Porter, who represents the Blue Mountains council on Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority, brought the resolution to council’s attention at the meeting. Porter kept her comments about the situation largely neutral and explained that Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority’s board of directors would be considering the issue at its meeting on Feb. 28.
“It would be an extremely large conservation authority if it was to go through,” Porter noted, adding that The Blue Mountains is one of the smaller members of Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority.
Should the meeting happen, the merger discussions will impact dozens of municipalities. The Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority includes the cities of Barrie, Kawartha Lakes and Orillia, the County of Simcoe, the regional municipalities of Durham and York, the towns of Aurora, Bradford West Gwillimbury, East Gwillimbury, Georgina, Innisfil, Newmarket, New Tecumseth, Whitchurch-Stouffville and the townships of Brock, King, Oro-Medonte, Ramara, Scugog and Uxbridge.
The Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority includes the City of Barrie, the Municipality of Grey Highlands, the towns of The Blue Mountains, Bradford West Gwillimbury, Collingwood, Innisfil, Mono, Shelburne and Wasaga Beach and the townships of Adjala-Tosorontio, Amaranth, Cleaview, Essa, Melancthon, Mulmer, New Tecumseth, Oro-Medonte and Springwater.
Coun. Gail Ardiel, a former chair of the Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority, said the merger idea had been raised in the past and she said she did not support that option.
“Amalgamating the two, I don’t think is in the best interest of (Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority),” said Ardiel. “Hopefully this does not happen. I just don’t think this is a good merger.”