Ontario’s Budget Bill Advances Conservation Authority Consolidation

Ontario’s omnibus budget legislation, Bill 97, the Plan to Protect Ontario Act (Budget Measures) (“Bill 97”), received Royal Assent on April 24, 2026,¹ which introduces significant changes to the Conservation Authorities Act (the “CA Act”).² Bill 97’s amendments continue Ontario’s multi-year effort to restructure conservation authority (“CA”) governance. The Province’s stated plan is to create greater consistency, less administrative duplication, and more streamlined planning and permitting processes.

As discussed in our prior bulletins, these reforms did not begin with Bill 97. They build on earlier legislative and regulatory changes discussed in our prior bulletins, including amendments narrowing conservation authorities’ roles in land use planning, the standardization of permitting under O. Reg. 41/24, and the Province’s announcement in late 2025 of its intention to significantly consolidate Ontario’s conservation authority framework.³ Bill 97 serves as the principal legislative