Editor’s note: The following is a submitted open letter regarding the Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority (CRCA) and changes proposed by the provincial government that would see CRCA absorbed into a larger regional conservation authority to be called the St. Lawrence Conservation Authority, with a provincial conservation oversight committee. The views and opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of Kingstonist.
When I first became an elected official just over three years ago, I had the opportunity to join the Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority (CRCA) as a City of Kingston councillor, sharing oversight responsibilities with the other municipalities that make up the Authority. I joined the Board alongside fellow Councillors Gary Oosterhof, Lisa Osanic, and Wendy Stephen.
I did so not only because of my role as a councillor, but because of a deep personal connection to the CRCA. Like many families in our region, mine has made lasting memories at CRCA properties — attending Maple Madness every March, hiking at Gould Lake, warming up with hot chocolate in the Outdoor Centre, and, in years past, skating on the large pond. These are not abstract services; they are real community experiences that matter to the people we represent. As a new councillor, serving on the CRCA Board felt like a meaningful way to give back while fulfilling my public responsibilities.
Since that time, I have served my entire term on the Board and am now entering my fourth year. Through this role, and through my work on the Finance and Human Resources Committees, I have gained a strong, practical understanding of how the CRCA operates and how effectively it serves our region. I have also seen firsthand the dedication, professionalism, and deep local knowledge of its staff.
That experience is precisely why I am deeply concerned about the direction the Provincial government is now taking.
The creation of a provincial conservation oversight body, combined with the forced amalgamation of conservation authorities across Ontario, is a significant overreach. The stated justification appears to be cost efficiency — but there is no evidence that this approach will deliver meaningful savings. In fact, it risks doing the opposite.
The CRCA does far more than manage watersheds. It delivers planning and permitting along our waterfronts, supports flood mitigation, provides environmental education, and runs locally relevant programs. Most importantly, CRCA staff know this region. When a constituent raises a watershed concern, I can speak directly with a staff member who understands the site, the history, and the issue — often without needing a map. That level of responsiveness cannot be replicated by a centralized authority located hundreds of kilometres away, relying on Google Maps instead of lived experience.
The proposed St. Lawrence Conservation Authority would encompass more than 40 municipalities and could, in theory, be governed by a Board of up to 70 members. A Board of that size is not functional. Decision-making will slow, accountability will weaken, and staff will be caught in the middle of competing priorities and unclear direction. This is not streamlining — it is bureaucracy layered on bureaucracy.
This proposal attempts to fix something that is not broken. The CRCA is already operating efficiently, cost-effectively, and collaboratively with the 11 municipalities it serves. It has well-trained staff who understand the environmental, geographic, and political complexities of this region and who work productively within them. Forcing amalgamation will strip away local expertise, dilute accountability, and ultimately reduce service quality.
Last year, I brought my grandchildren to Maple Madness. They dipped their hands into the sap buckets — please don’t tell the staff — and were completely captivated by the demonstrations, wagon rides, and hands-on learning. That experience reinforced exactly what is at stake. These programs matter. They connect people to their environment and to their community, and they work because they are locally delivered.
The CRCA must remain in its current form. From where I sit, this proposal once again reflects a Toronto-centric solution imposed on the rest of the province, with little regard for regional realities. To the Provincial government, my message is simple: leave Conservation Authorities alone. They are effective, financially responsible, and responsive to the communities they serve. Large, forced regional amalgamations are unnecessary — and in the end, they will cost taxpayers more while delivering less.
Don Amos
Kingston City Councillor — Portsmouth District
