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5 | The IFP -H alton H ills | T hursday,S eptem ber 12,2019 theifp.ca From Modern to Contemporary to Traditional. Product & Design That Complement Your Life. 348 Guelph St. Georgetown (Behind YoYo's, next to Cooper Standard) kabinetpro.com 905-702-7719 Authorized Dealer for Halton's mayors and re- gional chair have come back swinging at the prov- ince in response to its re- cent request for conserva- tion authorities to wind down programs deemed unrelated to their core mandate. The five local heads of council and the Conserva- tion Halton (CH) board of directors chair recently teamed up to send a letter that urges the Ford govern- ment to hold "meaningful" consultations with conser- vation authorities to dis- cuss regulations and de- fine core programs. "We strongly recom- mend engaging in pre-con- sultations with Conserva- tion Halton and other CAs to ensure we are working together to define the gov- erning regulations and to continue our long-stand- ing partnership," reads the letter. The move comes in re- sponse to a letter Minister of the Environment, Con- servation and Parks Jeff Yurek circulated last month to conservation au- thorities asking them to re- view their activities and begin preparations to wind down activities that fall outside the scope of their core mandates. At the time, Conserva- tion Halton chief adminis- trative officer Hassaan Ba- sit deemed the letter "a bit of a blindside," as conser- vation authorities have been in talks with the gov- ernment since changes were made to the Conser- vation Authorities Act ear- lier this year. The recent letter penned by CH and the local politicians to the province details the losses that would be felt if the local au- thority had to close its pro- grams. "Conservation Halton employs approximately 800 seasonal workers, mostly youth, and supports local businesses and tourism. These 800 jobs are at risk with the apparent direc- tion of the province," it states. "Furthermore, CH at- tracts 1.2 million visitors annually; that would be 1.2 million disappointments should CH lose its ability to manage these cherished assets." The letter also high- lights the fact that CH uses no tax dollars to manage and operate its conserva- tion areas, which actually generate a surplus that off- sets "significant costs" that would otherwise be funded through municipal tax lev- ies. "Municipalities have no desire to take over these re- sponsibilities," it adds. Along with the letter, the political leaders sent a discussion paper that reit- erates the importance of consulting with conserva- tion authorities prior to consulting all stakeholders about the regulations be- ing crafted by the province. "We feel strongly that through these pre-consul- tations we can help the province gain a clear un- derstanding of what CAs do, and we can assist the provincial government in fulfilling its commitment to Ontarians," it reads. "We believe that the Conservation Halton Board and participating municipalities should be allowed the time to consid- er the full implications to their watersheds before re- ducing any programs or freezing fees and levies." NEWS HALTON MAYORS FIRE BACK ON CONSERVATION AUTHORITY CHANGES MELANIE HENNESSEY mhennessey@ metroland.com THE ISSUE: POTENTIAL CONSERVATION AUTHORITY PROGRAM CLOSURES. LOCAL IMPACT: CONSERVATION HALTON SAY THE PROVINCE'S REQUEST TO WIND DOWN PROGRAMS UNRELATED TO ITS CORE MANDATE COULD RESULT IN MASSIVE LOSSES OF JOBS AND REVENUE. STORY BEHIND THE STORY: With this provincial directive potentially impacting local residents' jobs and taxes, we continue to keep a close eye on how the issue is resolved. The mayors of Burlington Marianne Meed Ward, Rick Bonnette of Halton Hills, Rob Burton of Oakville and Gord Krantz of Milton, along with Regional Chair Gary Carr, have written to the Province demanding consultations on changes to conservation authority regulations. Torstar file photo