Founded in 1932, the Grand River Conservation Authority is the oldest water management agency in Canada. The Grand River Watershed covers 6800 square kilometres from the Dufferin Highlands to Lake Erie, represents 39 municipalities and affects nearly one million residents.
Led by local voices, embodying local needs and funded by local municipalities, the GRCA was established as a direct response to flooding and erosion. Charged with the monitoring and management of the watershed's resources, the GRCA has built 28 dams and regulates development in floodplains and wetlands to protect people and property; including agricultural land and our food supply from severe flooding, pollution and drought issues.
By protecting public health and safety, they support sustainable community development that allows people and nature to thrive. Their experienced stewardship of surface water and the environment, contributes to the protection of our aquifers and drinking water supplies. Their public education programs and recreational opportunities in the Elora Gorge, Elora Quarry and Bellwood Lake are an intrinsic part of our Tourist Economy.
Over the past several years, despite minimal funding responsibility, the Ontario Government has limited the mandate, resourcing and independence of the GRCA, undermining their ability to effectively fulfill this essential role.
The Lake Erie Regional Conservation Authority is a proposed amalgamation of 8 Conservation Authorities from Windsor to Hamilton and North to Shelbourne, with a responsibility for 81 municipalities. This amalgamation could create conditions under which it is far more likely that critical local knowledge will be excluded from key decisions, leaving communities across Southern Ontario more exposed to flooding and other environmental harms.
The GRCA has protected and provided for our community for over 90 years; now it’s time to give back by opposing Doug Fords plan to wash them away.
https://ontarionature.good.do/conservation-authorities/petition/
Further, a Big Thanks to Wellington-Halton Hills Green Party for supporting this campaign!
https://www.instagram.com/p/DVZsL65jQOQ/?igsh=MnBqNGh6bTF4bWdn
If you’ve already signed the petition, Thanks for your support! Please share it with our community! And keep checking my “Updates” section for more information on this complex issue.