SPONSORED BY
HOSTED BY
NEW ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS
The Conservation Authorities Act
This panel will discuss the changes to the Provincial Policy Statement and the Conservation Authorities Act and how these environmental regulations changes will impact building more housing.
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Creating new Conservation Authority Agency: Will this improve timing of approvals or cause more confusion? What happens during the transition? What are the impacts to the Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority (CLOCA)?
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Interim changes to the Endangered Species Act and the new Species Conservation Act (2025): Will this remove red tape or is it just taking responsibility from one provincial agency and putting into federal hands?
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Provincial Policy Statement and the new definition for a watercourse: Does this help clarify what is regulated by the Conservation Authorities or not? What defines a flood hazard? How should Headwater Drainage Features be treated - regulated or not?​
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Natural Heritage Review and Approvals: Changing the Conservation Authorities mandate to cover only flood and erosion hazards, has this made the process better? Are the municipalities still relying on the Conservation Authorities to provide review or are they going to peer review or hiring in-house specialists? Which is better and more efficient?
FEATURED INDUSTRY EXPERTS
SPEAKER
Chris Jones
CLOCA
​Chris Jones is a professional planner with 22 years experience in the municipal and conservation authority sectors and has been in the role of Director of Planning and Regulation for the Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority (CLOCA) for the past 11 years.
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A resident of Oshawa, he is a member of the Ontario Professional Planners Institute and Canadian Institute of Planners and holds a Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning with a minor in Public Administration from Toronto Metropolitan University.
SPEAKER
Al Benson
SCS Consulting
Allen is a biologist/ecologist with over 18 years experience in cataloguing wildlife dynamics, classifying ecological communities, developing restoration and enhancement plans, and identifying opportunities and constraints. He leads and coordinates environmental planning projects that require interaction and approval from various regulatory agencies such as conservation authorities, Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, and Department of Fisheries and Oceans. These projects include environmental impact studies, environmental assessments, species at risk applications, Fisheries Act reviews, low impact development reviews, and other environmental requirements needed for a successful project.
SPEAKER
Name
Bio
SPEAKER
Name
Bio
MODERATOR
Deborah Martin Downs
Retired
Deborah Martin-Downs is a Canadian aquatic biologist who specializes in fish and their environments. She has worked in ecology and conservation for over 30 years in Toronto both as a consultant and as director of the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA).