Conservation Ontario, the non-profit association that represents
Ontario's 36 Conservation Authorities, has made their
submission for the 2019 Ontario Budget Consultation publicly
available on their website, and here's what we've
learned:
The Province of Ontario currently provides Ontario's 36
conservation authorities with annual transfer payments of:
- $7.4 million for natural hazards work
(flooding and erosion);
- $5 million in matching funds to
address flood infrastructure (dams, dykes etc) issues; and
- $7.2 million under the Ontario
Drinking Water Source Protection program to protect sources of
drinking water.
It's not clear whether Conservation Ontario believes that
this funding is under threat in the cost-cutting milieu of the
current government, but the public comments from Kim Gaine, General
Manager, Conservation Ontario, makes the case that this funding,
which adds up to "less than $1 per year from taxpayers",
reaps many public benefits:
