Ontario's Amalgamation Of Conservation Authorities And Creation Of The Ontario Provincial Conservation Agency

On October 31, 2025, the Ontario government issued a Press Release to announce that it will create the Ontario Provincial Conservation Agency (OPCA) and amalgamate Ontario's 36 Conservation Authorities into several watershed based regional conservation authorities. This will be achieved through legislation that will be introduced in the coming weeks.

This announcement is the latest in a series of changes to the role of Conservation Authorities in planning and development in Ontario, largely aimed at speeding up the construction of homes and other local infrastructure projects. For more information on the substantial steps that the Ontario government has taken to reshaping the role of Conservation Authorities over the last five years, see our article "Conservation Authorities: Where are they now?."

The Ontario government states that the purpose of the OPCA is to provide "centralized leadership, efficient governance, strategic direction, and oversight of all conservation authorities." In general, the Ontario government seeks to re-focus Conservation Authorities on their original mandate to manage watersheds and protect communities from floods and natural hazards. According to the Press Release, the OPCA will be tasked with "key modernization projects" including:

1. "developing a single digital permitting platform to provide a faster, more predictable approvals process and improved customer service";
2. "streamlining and standardizing service delivery by setting clear, provincewide performance standards and support their consistent application by conservation authorities with centralized data and updated floodplain mapping"; and
3. "overseeing the implementation of a regional, watershed-based consolidation of conservation authorities".

In announcing the pending changes, Todd McCarthy, the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, noted that the current fragmented system of 36 separate Conservation Authorities in Ontario creates inconsistencies and leads to delays and uncertainties in planning and development applications.

The Press Release states that the Ontario government will introduce legislation establishing the OPCA in the coming weeks. The Ontario government will also begin consultations with the public, municipalities, stakeholders, Indigenous communities and other partners on the watershed. A main topic in the consultation will be the proposed boundaries of each authority to ensure jurisdictions for each Conservation Authority do not overlap, as is currently the case. This will avoid unnecessary duplication and wasted resources.

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