November 30, 2020, Toronto, ON – Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) attended Standing Committee today to request amendments to proposed changes to the Conservation Authorities Act (the Act) and the Planning Act. Please find attached at the bottom of this release the letter that was provided to Standing Committee, in addition to the Presentation that was submitted.
At Standing Committee, TRCA reiterated our encouragement for measures and proposed amendments made to enhance the transparency and accountability of conservation authorities, which represent best practices and levels of service that we provide to our government partners, stakeholders, and the five million citizens living in our jurisdiction. TRCA also requested the proposed amendments related to planning, permitting, and enforcement either be removed or amended to address significant concerns.
Since the Province announced the proposed amendments, TRCA staff have worked tirelessly with the Province regarding the substantial concerns regarding conservation authorities’ roles in permitting, planning and enforcement to fulfill our core mandate of watershed protection. As a technical advisor to the Province, TRCA appreciated having the opportunity to collaborate on potential enhancements to the proposed legislation primarily on these three areas.
We wanted to take this opportunity to thank our partner municipalities, residents throughout our jurisdiction and our network of supporters for reaching out to the Province to address their concerns. Further, we would like to thank the Province for considering our pragmatic recommendations to addressing issues with the proposed legislation.
Media Contact:
Michael Tolensky
Chief Financial and Operating Officer
Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA)
416-706-9093 | michael.tolensky@trca.ca