The Hamilton Conservation Authority wants to get people outside and into nature, according to the agency's new five-year strategic plan.
Following changes to provincial legislation, the authority is stepping back from its previous role as a regulator.
When Bill 23, also known as the More Homes Built Faster Act, was passed in Oct. 2022, it began changing the roles of conservation authorities across the province. In June 2024, the province received royal assent for Bill 185, Cutting Red Tape to Build More Homes Act, which further amended the Conservation Authorities Act.
Lisa Burnside, Chief Administrative Officer with the HCA, said changes to the Conservation Authorities Act means the city will take on some of the responsibilities that used to fall the authority, when it comes to developer applications.
“Going forward, as part of our regulatory role when we look at development applications coming in, there are less things that we can comment on,” she said. “We no longer can take into account conservation of land or pollution.”
With the changes to the Conservation Authorities Act, she said, HCA's comments will focus mostly on issues such as erosion control and flooding.
“We have less of a role when we comment on natural heritage and the province is really focusing us on natural hazards,” she said.
“The role of protecting natural heritage will fall more to our municipalities.”
Authority to focus on community engagement
Burnside said the authority is taking a “broad approach” with the new plan, and will focus on four main facets: managing water resources, creating a more efficient organization, conserving natural heritage and connecting people with nature.
The authority will focus on flood plain mapping, which means discovering what normally dry land holds water in heavy rain or flood events. The authority is also looking into the connectivity of Hamilton's waterways, and will work on their land acquisition.
"We own over 11,000 acres in the watershed. That's about 10 per cent of the watershed. We'd like to increase that," Burnside said.
Burnside said the authority has seen a jump in visitors since the COVID-19 pandemic, and is aiming to keep public interest in its conservation areas and campsites.
“We want to make sure we've got some high quality and diverse conservation areas, but we also want to make sure, where we can for our visitors, also promote environmental education and awareness,” she said.
