Authority Meeting a G E N

SAUGEEN VALLEY CONSERVATION AUTHORITY AUTHORITY MEETING Thursday August 6, 2020 1:00 p.m. Electronic

A G E N D A

1. Adoption of Agenda

2. Declaration of Pecuniary Interest

3. Approval of Minutes a. Authority Meeting – June 4, 2020 – attached

4. Matters Arising from the Minutes a. Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic Response Update – Jennifer Stephens – attached b. Section 28 Violations Report – Erik Downing – attached

5. Consent Agenda a. Finance Report – attached b. Program Report – attached c. Executive Committee Minutes – July 16, 2020 – attached d. Correspondence for Members’ information – attached e. News Articles for Members’ information – attached

6. New Business a. Creation of SVCA Strategic Action Plan – Jennifer Stephens – attached b. Environmental Planning & Regulations Department Status – Erik Downing – attached c. Administrative By-law Amendments – Janice Hagan – attached d. Nuclear Waste Management Organization - Jennifer Stephens – attached e. Compensation for Seasonal Campers – Donna Lacey – attached

7. In Camera Session

Adjournment AGENDA

SAUGEEN VALLEY CONSERVATION AUTHORITY

Conservation through Cooperation MINUTES

MEETING: Authority Meeting DATE: Thursday June 4, 2020 TIME: 1:00 p.m. LOCATION: Electronic

CHAIR: Dan Gieruszak

MEMBERS PRESENT: Paul Allen, Maureen Couture, Barbara Dobreen, Mark Goetz, Cheryl Grace, Tom Hutchinson, Steve McCabe, Don Murray, Mike Myatt, Sue Paterson, Diana Rae, Christine Robinson, Bill Stewart

ABSENT WITH REGRETS: Mark Davis

OTHERS PRESENT: Wayne Bell, Delegate Dick Hibma, Interim General Manager/Secretary-Treasurer Jennifer Stephens, General Manager/Secretary Treasurer Laura Molson, Manager, Accounting Erik Downing, Manager, Environmental Planning & Regulations Shannon Wood, Manager, Communications JoAnne Harbinson, Manager, Water Resources & Stewardship Services Donna Lacey, Forestry Coordinator Shaun Anthony, Flood Warning/Water Quality Coordinator Alyssa Gowing, Regulations Officer Janice Hagan, Administrative Assistant/Recording Secretary

Chair Dan Gieruszak, called the meeting to order at 1:00 p.m.

1. Adoption of Agenda MOTION #G20-60 Moved by Paul Allen Seconded by Maureen Couture THAT the agenda be adopted as presented. CARRIED

2. Declaration of Pecuniary Interest No persons declared a pecuniary interest relative to any item on the agenda. Authority Meeting – June 4, 2020

3. Minutes of the Authority Meeting – May 7, 2020 MOTION #G20-61 Moved by Bill Stewart Seconded by Barbara Dobreen THAT the minutes of the Authority meeting, held on May 7, 2020 be approved as circulated. CARRIED

4. Introduction of New GM/S-T, Jennifer Stephens The Chair introduced Jennifer Stephens and welcomed her as the new GM/S-T. Jennifer thanked staff and the members for the warm welcome received so far. She told the members that she looks forward to meeting each one individually and to bringing leadership and experience to SVCA to build strong stakeholder relationships in the SVCA jurisdiction.

5. Administrative Review of Completeness of Permit Application Dick Hibma introduced the application file for Wayne Bell and reviewed the procedures for determining if an application is complete. He reminded the members that the purpose of the Administrative Review is for determination of completeness and not for the purpose of discussion on approval or non-approval of the permit. Wayne Bell told the Authority that when he purchased the property, the land search indicated that a portion of the property is regulated by EP zoning. When construction started in 2018, the dwelling was outside the EP area according to the building permit. The foundation and footings were inspected and approved by the building inspector. A post core sample on the property performed by B.M. Ross revealed a very dense clay. He noted that all requirements were followed by him and he was not notified of any violation until November 2019, after construction was complete and all fill had been replaced. Mr. Bell states that he may have had an environmental study done had he been notified of the violation beforehand.

Alyssa Gowing read her report as submitted. She confirmed that notification of the violation was not received by the SVCA office until November 2019. Erik Downing clarified that the dwelling and the deck included on the application were not in the slope hazard, therefore if the application had come in with only the dwelling and the deck, it may have been approved with only minor conditions. The shed structure, however, may contribute to a disturbance or failure of the slope to the detriment of the shed or neighbouring properties. The requested geotechnical study, as supported by the SVCA Environmental Planning and Regulations Policies Manual, would clarify if there is a risk to property, and potentially to life as the provincial guidelines suggest. Erik explained that it is not possible for staff to determine the possible damage that could occur due to the weight of a structure and only a geotechnical study could provide this information.

After further discussion, the following motion was defeated:

MOTION #G20-62 Moved by Mark Goetz Seconded by Cheryl Grace THAT the Authority considers the permit application by Wayne and Laurie Bell with respect to a 66 m2 accessory structure (shed) located approximately 12.5 m from the top of an over-steepened ancient glacial shoreline bluff and a single-storey bungalow style dwelling with basement, attached deck and covered porches located approximately 30 metres from the top of the slope at 730 Lake Range Drive, CON A PT LOT 43 RP 3R 1906 Part 2, Township of Huron-Kinloss, to be incomplete and requires submission of the following as

2 Authority Meeting – June 4, 2020

acceptable to SVCA staff: - Application to Alter a Regulated Area form with site plan - Payment of Standard Works application review fee ($1472) and - Submission of an acceptable site-specific geotechnical stability study. DEFEATED

The Chair explained that staff may not be able to approve the application, but that the Authority does not require the geotechnical study to deem the application complete. If staff are unable to approve the permit, a Section 28 Hearing will take place.

Wayne Bell left the meeting at 2:55 p.m. The Chair called a recess and the meeting was reconvened at 3:05 p.m.

The Chair informed the Members that he had had a discussion with Wayne Bell during the recess. The decision was reviewed, and next steps were discussed. He told Mr. Bell that anything he can do to provide staff with additional evidence and information would be beneficial moving forward, but that there is no guaranteed outcome of a Section 28 Hearing.

6. Matters Arising from the Minutes a. COVID-19 Measures Update

Dick reviewed the report submitted. The members requested that the watershed municipal clerks be informed and updated of any changes especially regarding park and campsite openings.

7. Consent Agenda MOTION #G20-63 Moved by Tom Hutchinson Seconded by Steve McCabe THAT the reports, Minutes, and information contained in the Consent Agenda, [items 7a-c], along with their respective recommended motions be accepted as presented. CARRIED

8. New Business

a. Violations Reporting Policy

Dick Hibma reviewed the submitted report and noted that SVCA is a regulatory agency charged with upholding Ontario Regulation 169/06, as amended, protecting people and property from hazards, which is one of the main functions of the Authority. Staff are not currently requesting to make substantive changes to processes; however, the report clarifies the importance of the type of work being done and the challenge to uphold the regulatory role as a serious responsibility. He stressed that staff need to be supported in upholding Section 28 Regulations. He noted that there are current risks that need to be mitigated and some legal costs that may need to be incurred. He noted that legal budgets of other CA’s are much higher than SVCA’s budget. The members thanked Dick for the reminder.

After discussion, the following motion was passed:

3 Authority Meeting – June 4, 2020

MOTION #G20-63 Moved by Mike Myatt Seconded by Sue Paterson THAT the Authority approve the SVCA Section 28 Violations Process Report as presented, and further

THAT the Authority confirm the current practice for reporting and processing of Section 28 violations should be continued. CARRIED

9. For the Good of the Committee

In recognition of Dick Hibma’s retirement and dedication as Interim General Manager/Secretary-Treasurer, the Chair presented him with a plaque and a donation of $200 to the charity of his choice.

There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 3:38 p.m. on motion of Diana Rae and Christine Robinson.

______Dan Gieruszak Janice Hagan Chair Recording Secretary

4 AGENDA

1078 Bruce Road 12, P.O. Box 150, Formosa ON Canada N0G 1W0 Tel 519-367-3040, Fax 519-367-3041, [email protected], www.svca.on.ca

TO: Chair and Members, Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority

FROM: Jennifer Stephens, General Manager/Secretary-Treasurer

DATE: July 30, 2020

SUBJECT: NOVEL CORONOVIRUS (COVID-19) PANDEMIC RESPONSE UPDATE

PURPOSE: To acquire support for the action plan to re-open the Administration Centre

RECOMMENDATION THAT the Administration Office remain closed until September 8, 2020; and

THAT staff be directed to finalize an Infectious Disease Protocol prior to the Administration Office opening to the public; and further

THAT staff be directed to advise member municipalities of the current state of operations at SVCA properties and plans to re-open the Administration Office.

BACKGROUND The Board of Directors received a report at their last meeting held on June 4, 2020, documenting the COVID-19 Pandemic Response to date at Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority (SVCA). At that time, camping sites at Brucedale, Durham, and Saugeen Bluffs Conservation Areas had been opened to seasonal campers. These seasonal campers were able to live self-contained without the use of our washroom facilities. In addition to the three campgrounds, day-use conservation areas had been opened for passive use. At all conservation areas, signage was posted encouraging social distancing and advising which facilities were open for use. All social media channels, as well as the SVCA website were used to communicate changes relating to access and use of our conservation areas.

ANALYSIS Informed by public health advice and workplace safety guidance, and supported by the willingness of businesses, workers and families to make the changes necessary to limit potential spread of COVID- 19, the Grey-Bruce Health Unit has moved into the third stage of re-opening our watersheds and communities.

Discussions with staff took place through the month of June to determine the capacity for SVCA campgrounds to accommodate transient campers, as well as the increased requirements for sanitation at our frequently used facilities once opened. The Superintendents of the three

It was decided that a phased opening of our campgrounds to transient campers would be the best course of action. On June 26, 2020, some transient camping sites were opened at Durham and Saugeen Bluffs Conservation Areas. It was decided, on the recommendation of the Campground Superintendent, Brucedale Conservation Area would remain closed to transient campers for the 2020 season. Limited washroom facilities were opened at all three campgrounds in accordance with Public Health Ontario guidelines (i.e., mandatory cleaning twice daily). Revised signage was posted advising which facilities would continue to be closed and those which would not be available. The facilities which would remain unavailable for use include showers, play structures, as well as the pool and splash pad at the Saugeen Bluffs campground.

Following a week of limited washroom availability and transient camper access, Saugeen Bluffs and Durham campgrounds resumed normal operations on July 3rd, except for the showers, playgrounds, and canoe rental operations. Additional washroom facilities and transient sites were made available the week of July 6th. Some transient sites are expected to remain closed for the majority of the 2020 season to assist in the practice of physical distancing. Playgrounds, volleyball courts, and canoe rental operations are expected to resume on July 31st with appropriate signage identifying that users do so at their own risk. Showers, as well as the pool and splash pad at Saugeen Bluffs campground are expected to stay closed for the season.

The Formosa Administrative Office remains closed to the public and staff continue to work remotely. A small number of field staff continue to use the Administration Office as their base of operation. Other staff come into the office infrequently to access hard copy materials. Staff are required to wear a non-medical mask when away from their desk and physical distancing continues to be exercised. To open the Administrative Office to the level where a small proportion of staff are working from their desks regularly, several health and safety practices will need to be put in place. These practices include: 1) Establishment of an infectious disease protocol, 2) A schedule outlining which staff would be in the office at any given time, and 3) Increased cleaning of frequently touched areas (i.e., restrooms). Many conservation authorities are keeping their Administration Offices closed until September 8th to align with the new school year. In discussions with staff there continues to be apprehension with working in a shared space. Since the work of Authority staff has continued, with modifications, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, officially re-opening the Administration Office on September 8th is advisable. The draft protocol referenced above has been prepared and is expected to be circulated to staff the week of August 4th for their input. In the interim, a Plexiglass barrier has been purchased and is ready for installation at the reception desk prior to the Administration Office opening.

COMMUNICATIONS PLAN The General Manager/Secretary-Treasurer will advise staff of the plans to re-open the Administration Office in September with new health and safety practices in place. Text on the SVCA website will be updated to advise the public of intentions to open the Administration Office on September 8, 2020. Correspondence will be issued to member municipalities in August advising that the Administration Office will be opened in September. This same correspondence will communicate how operations at conservation areas have resumed with modifications.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS Preparation of the infectious disease protocol and staff scheduling will continue to be conducted in- house using staff resources. Sanitary cleaning products and the plexiglass barriers have been purchased through the Health and Safety budget under Administration. Additional funding beyond the existing budget for cleaning might be required pending discussions with staff. If this were the case, the funds would have to be obtained from the Building Maintenance budget.

Approved By:

Jennifer Stephens, General Manager/Secretary-Treasurer

AGENDA

1078 Bruce Road 12, P.O. Box 150, Formosa ON Canada N0G 1W0 Tel 519-367-3040, Fax 519-367-3041, [email protected], www.Saugeen Conservation.on.ca

REPORT TO: Members of the Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority

FROM: Erik Downing, Manager - Environmental Planning and Regulations

DATE: July 30, 2020

SUBJECT: Section 28 Violations Report

RECOMMENDATION:

THAT a report of outstanding violations be presented to the Authority regularly;

AND FURTHER THAT staff prioritize the resolution of violations based on the severity of the works and where there is little time before the statute of limitations expires.

BACKGROUND This report follows the May 21, 2020 Section 28 Violations Process Report from Dick Hibma and Erik Downing. That report outlined the approach of other conservation authorities to violations of the Development, Interference with Wetlands, Alterations to Shorelines and Watercourses Regulation (Ontario Regulation 169/06, as amended, hereafter the Regulation).

In that report, SVCA staff outlined several options which have been and could be implemented at the Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority (SVCA) to address violations. Some of these options are detailed below:

Option A: Permission in the form of an SVCA approval ‘after the fact’ (with surcharge). Only ‘after the fact’ applications meeting the requirements outlined in SVCA’s Policy Manual would be considered complete (administrative reviews would not be applicable) Option B: Compliance agreements could be considered as permission to resolve a matter Option C: The Authority be made aware of all violations of the Regulation for consideration.

Historically, the Authority sought legal opinion to confirm its obligation and duty to enforce the Regulation under the Conservation Authorities Act. Legal counsel has advised that in the event of loss of life and/or property because of a violation, the Authority may be held responsible for not enforcing the Regulation.

ANALYSIS This report outlines the current violations of the Regulation that SVCA staff are managing, Option C as outlined above. There are four Regulations Officers who manage violation files associated with the Regulation. In all cases, Regulations Officers work towards an agreeable resolution of the violation. Agreeable resolution typically is faster, more economical, and less labour intensive, and in many instances preferred by the proponent to a legal proceeding.

In some instances, the file is referred to the Authority where charges are recommended due to an inability to resolve the violation and SVCA’s duty to enforce the Regulation.

Over the past several years, a major task in the Environmental Planning and Regulations Department has been addressing the resolution of violations (Table 1). Over the same period of time, only two files had charges preferred. Appendix 1 outlines the 103 violations currently active, which staff continue to address. Although the statute of limitations (2 years) has passed for several violations, it is still the responsibility of the Authority to reach an acceptable resolution.

Some violations have been left unresolved but are not active. Extenuating circumstances such as minimal risk, limited evidence to support the violation, and an expired statute of limitation have all supported the decision to close these files. Staff keeps a record of these closed files and will work towards a resolution when the property is sold, or other works proposed.

Table 1: A summary of violations and resolutions over the past six years (2014-2019) Year Number of Violations Number of Resolutions 2019 110 82 2018 80 30 2017 118 66 2016 95 40 2015 102 29 2014 56 16

Over the past 5 years, the number of violations has stayed relatively stable (80-110). In comparison to neighbouring conservation authorities, SVCA seems to have more violations. These violations are not only identified by staff, but also brought forward by the public and municipal partners. To address outstanding violations will require the continued commitment of staff, as well as a plan of action. For example, staff intend to prioritize efforts to resolve those violations that have the highest risk and are closest to the status of limitations expiring.

It is proposed that at every Authority meeting in the foreseeable future, members are provided with the status of outstanding violations. This list will only include broad reference to the location of the violation to maintain privacy. If the Authority wishes to discuss the details of any one file, there would be a need to enter into a closed session. Table 2 describes the details provided in Appendix 1. Staff maintain additional information on each violation including a record of correspondence, status of resolution, likelihood of conviction or resolution, and municipal staff involvement.

Table 2: Information to be included in Violations Table Reference to the location of the violation while complying with the Freedom of Geographic Township Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) Nature of Violation A general description of the violation. The date when the violation was reported to SVCA. This parameter provides Date Reported to SVCA some indication of how long staff have been working towards a resolution. Severity of Works An arbitrary rating by staff to indicate the severity of the violation. The number of months remaining until the opportunity to lay a charge (and start Statute of Limitations legal process) is past.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: There are potentially tremendous financial implications to violations left unresolved. The Authority could be found liable in court for not having enforced the Regulation, particularly should loss of life or property transpire. Further, there are many areas of this regulatory process where SVCA could have to retain legal counsel for guidance and support.

Approved By:

Erik Downing, Manager – Environmental Planning and Regulations

Approved By:

Jennifer Stephens, General Manager/Secretary-Treasurer

7/30/2020

Date Reported Severity of Works Statute of Limitations No. Geographic Township Nature of Violation to SVCA 1(Low) -10(High) (months remaining) 62 Egremont Potential PSW disruption 6-Jun-2019 ? 11 months 44 Egremont Wetland filling; unauthorized structures 30-Aug-2019 ? 13 months 83 Egremont/Southgate Wetland alteration 29-May-2015 ? Past 71 Greenock Tile drainage and watercourse enclosure 19-Dec-2016 10 1 months 72 Minto Fill in floodplain 5-Jul-2018 10 Past 58 Greenock Wetland removal 3-Jul-2019 8 12 months 51 Proton Wetland removal 9-Aug-2019 8 13 months 40 Egremont Shed in flood and erosion hazard 21-Nov-2019 8 16 months 37 Chesley Pavilion not built to permit conditions in flood hazard 14-Jan-2020 8 18 months 38 Paisley Dwelling in floodplain 11-Mar-2020 8 20 months 69 Proton Wetland alteration 18-Oct-2018 8 3 months 68 Huron Structure at top of slope 20-Nov-2018 8 4 months 7 Huron Dwelling 1-May-2017 8 Past 16 Kinloss Addition to Dwelling 1-May-2017 8 Past 17 Huron Dwelling and Deck 1-May-2017 8 Past 22 Paisley Fill in Floodplain 20-Apr-2015 8 Past 74 Normanby Fill; wetland and watercourse alteration 6-Mar-2018 8 Past 75 Sullivan Steambank excavation 17-Aug-2018 7 1 month 30 Glenelg Watercourse Alteration 22-May-2020 7 22 months 31 Elderslie Structures in floodplain 4-Oct-2018 7 3 months 32 Southampton Sunroom addition on oversteepened slope 13-Aug-2018 7 3 weeks 24 Normanby Fill in Floodplain, removal of wetland 24-May-2018 7 Past 25 Minto Alteration to PSW 27-Jun-2017 7 Past 26 Bentinck Garden shed and cottage/shack constructed in floodplain 13-Oct-2017 7 Past 59 Greenock Unauthorized culvert placed in watercourse 28-Jun-2019 6 11 months 63 Huron Unauthorized fill placed in flood hazard 3-Jun-2019 6 11 months 53 Huron Unauthorized structures in dynamic beach 17-Jul-2019 6 12 months 56 Huron Unauthorized structure in dynamic beach 9-Jul-2019 6 12 months 57 Huron Unauthorized structures within dynamic beach 5-Jul-2019 6 12 months 45 Minto PSW removal 30-Aug-2019 6 13 months 47 Huron Unauthorized dwelling in flood hazard 15-Aug-2019 6 13 months 49 Egremont Wetland alteration 12-Aug-2019 6 13 months

50 Brant Structures adjacent to wetland; wetland filling; structures altered adjacent to Pearl Lake 11-Aug-2019 6 13 months 42 Egremont Watercourse alteration 25-Sep-2019 6 14 months 43 Proton Wetland removal 18-Sep-2019 6 14 months 7/30/2020

Date Reported Severity of Works Statute of Limitations No. Geographic Township Nature of Violation to SVCA 1(Low) -10(High) (months remaining) 41 Kinloss LSW alteration 30-Oct-2019 6 15 months 35 Proton Structure in area adjacent to wetland; wetland & Watercourse alteration 11-Feb-2020 6 19 months 36 Egremont Watercourse alteration 3-Feb-2020 6 19 months 64 Proton Unauthorized structures in flood hazard 29-Apr-2019 6 9 months 65 Carrick Wetland and watercourse alteration 2-Apr-2019 6 9 months 66 Greenock Wetland alteration 1-Apr-2019 6 9 months 75 West Luther PSW removal 9-Jan-2018 6 Past 76 Egremont PSW removal 22-Sep-2017 6 Past 77 Artemesia Watercourse rerouted 8-Aug-2017 6 Past 78 Greenock Wetland alteration 6-Apr-2017 6 Past 80 Carrick Wetland removal 16-Dec-2016 6 Past 84 Greenock Dam/watercourse alteration without proper approvals 1-Jan-2014 6 Past 85 Sullivan Fill in Wetland 26-Aug-2019 5 13 months 86 Artemesia WC Alteration and Wetland Interference 21-Nov-2019 5 16 months 26 Bentinck Draining wetland 9-Oct-2018 5 2 months 31 Artemesia Fill and development adjacent to wetland 25-May-2020 5 22 months 32 Holland Fill in wetland 8-Nov-2018 5 4 months 1 Brant Building Addition in the Floodplain 27-Apr-2017 5 Past 2 Huron Accessory Building 1-May-2017 5 Past 3 Kinloss Barn Addition 1-May-2017 5 Past 8 Huron Shed 1-May-2017 5 Past 10 Huron Barn 1-May-2017 5 Past 11 Huron Coverall 1-May-2017 5 Past 13 Huron Accessory Building 1-May-2017 5 Past 14 Huron Attached Garage 1-May-2017 5 Past 15 Huron Development 1-May-2017 5 Past 20 Greenock PSW removed 27-Apr-2018 5 Past 21 Greenock PSW Removed 1-Apr-2018 5 Past 32 Elderslie Fill in Floodplain 15-Jun-2018 5 Past 33 Normanby Streambank alteration and fill in floodplain 9-Jul-2018 5 Past 34 Artemesia Watercourse alteration and wetland interference 3-May-2019 4 10 months 60 Carrick Installation of laneway, added fill adjacent to wetland 28-Jun-2019 4 11 months 61 Egremont Unauthorized structure in flood hazard; adjacent to wetland 25-Jun-2019 4 11 months 54 Huron Shore deck in dynamic beach 17-Jul-2019 4 12 months 38 Huron Unauthorized development in dynamic beach 10-Jan-2020 4 18 months 39 Normanby Tile drainage and outlet trench into wetland 17-Sep-2018 4 2 months 7/30/2020

Date Reported Severity of Works Statute of Limitations No. Geographic Township Nature of Violation to SVCA 1(Low) -10(High) (months remaining) 34 Egremont Structure in flood hazard 16-Mar-2020 4 20 months 73 Proton Unauthorized culvert adjacent to PSW 3-May-2018 4 Past 82 Egremont Building adjacent to wetland 1-Jul-2016 4 Past 83 Southampton Gabion Basket shore protection and shoreline retaining wall and fill 22-Jul-2019 3 12 months 84 Durham Deck and stairs in floodplain 20-Aug-2019 3 13 months 85 Artemesia Wetland Interference 19-Sep-2019 3 14 months 86 Bentinck Grading/filling in floodplain, wetland interference 27-Sep-2019 3 14 months 87 Bentinck WC culvert installed without permit 15-Aug-2016 3 Past 19 Egremont Dwelling improperly located relative to approved plans in SVCA permit. 11-Jul-2019 2 12 months 27 Bentinck Fill in Floodplain 2-Jul-2019 2 12 months 52 Walkerton Watercourse alteration (asphalt on banks) 30-Jul-2019 2 12 months 55 Proton File in wetland 16-Jul-2019 2 12 months 46 Huron Structures in dynamic beach 23-Aug-2019 2 13 months 48 Huron Unauthorized structure in dynamic beach 13-Aug-2019 2 13 months 39 Huron Shore deck in dynamic beach 2-Dec-2019 2 17 months 28 Arthur Tile Drainage in Regulated Area 6-Feb-2020 2 19 months 25 Egremont Development adjacent to PSW 4-Oct-2018 2 2 months 85 Hanover Fill in Regulated Area 28-Apr-2020 2 21 months 29 Clifford Fill in Floodplain (driveway improvements) 19-May-2020 2 22 months 30 Paisley Garage reconstruction, carport, dwelling addition 5-Nov-2018 2 4 months 31 Normanby Pond cleanout in regulated area 19-Dec-2018 2 5 months 70 Walkerton Various - structure and fill in flood hazard 4-May-2016 2 Ongoing 6 Huron Attached Garage 1-May-2017 2 Past 9 Huron Detached Garage 1-May-2017 2 Past 12 Huron Fill in Floodplain 1-May-2017 2 Past 18 Walkerton Site Alteration in the Floodplain 1-May-2017 2 Past 23 Bruce Fill in Floodplain 27-Jun-2016 2 Past 67 Brant Unauthorized works 16-Aug-2017 2 Past 79 Greenock Deck in flood hazard 4-Apr-2017 2 Past 81 Arthur Wetland removal 13-Nov-2016 2 Past AGENDA

1078 Bruce Road 12, P.O. Box 150, Formosa ON Canada N0G 1W0 Tel 519-367-3040, Fax 519-367-3041, [email protected], www.svca.on.ca

Report To: Authority Members, Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority

From: Laura Molson, Manager, Accounting

Date: August 6, 2020

Subject: Finance Report

Please find attached the Finance report for the period ending May 31, 2020 for your review.

Recommendation:

THAT the Finance Report to May 31, 2020 be accepted as distributed.

Approved by:

Laura Molson, Manager, Accounting

Approved by:

Jennifer Stephens, General Manager/Secretary-Treasurer

Program Revenue Expenses

Approved Budget Actual % Actual/ Approved Budget Actual % Actual/ Surplus/ Budget YTD YTD Budget YTD Budget YTD YTD Budget YTD (Deficit) Administration 517,155 213,415 196,479 92% 517,155 208,200 193,153 93% 3,326

Flood Warning 219,250 91,310 91,211 100% 219,250 90,061 83,551 93% 7,660

Water Management Flood Control Structures 163,600 68,165 68,667 101% 163,600 59,005 47,729 81% 20,938 Water Quality 100,890 42,410 42,478 100% 100,890 39,105 35,789 92% 6,689

Environmental Planning & Regulations 791,300 303,460 312,076 103% 791,300 315,165 299,739 95% 12,337

Information Technology & GIS 157,825 65,760 65,823 100% 157,825 68,370 56,400 82% 9,423

Community Relations Information 230,900 95,875 94,128 98% 230,900 97,975 94,014 96% 114 Education 93,300 40,085 32,403 81% 93,300 40,600 37,070 91% (4,667)

Land Management Non-Revenue Parks & Lands 136,550 57,238 57,223 100% 136,550 41,340 30,148 73% 27,075 Property Management 69,850 29,105 29,083 100% 69,850 29,295 33,894 116% (4,811)

Total - General Levy Programs 2,480,620 1,006,823 989,571 98% 2,480,620 989,116 911,487 92% 78,084 Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority Financial Report Non-General Levy Programs and Capital Projects May 31, 2020 (Unaudited)

Program Revenue Expenses Approved Actual % Actual/ Approved Budget Actual % Actual/ Surplus/ Budget Budget YTD YTD Budget YTD Budget YTD YTD Budget YTD (Deficit) Land Management Revenue Parks: Brucedale C. A. 79,550 67,000 78,044 116% 57,000 16,340 10,726 66% 67,318 Durham C. A. 247,300 171,200 167,347 98% 234,000 63,375 41,530 66% 125,817 Saugeen Bluffs C.A. 268,200 151,450 126,411 83% 256,350 76,305 41,922 55% 84,489 Agricultural Lands 15,000 5,400 5,055 94% 8,800 3,050 2,253 74% 2,802 Motor Pool 158,000 60,750 84,292 139% 135,700 80,450 110,156 137% (25,864)

Forestry Services 404,500 119,500 36,856 31% 387,850 227,615 126,243 55% (89,387)

Capital Projects Water Management 10,000 - - 0% 10,000 - - 0% -

Total-Non General Levy & Capital Programs 1,182,550 575,300 498,005 87% 1,089,700 467,135 332,830 71% 165,175

Summary Total - General Levy Programs 2,480,620 1,006,823 989,571 98% 2,480,620 989,116 911,487 92% 78,084 Total-Non General Levy & Capital Programs 1,182,550 575,300 498,005 87% 1,089,700 467,135 332,830 71% 165,175 3,663,170 1,582,123 1,487,576 94% 3,570,320 1,456,251 1,244,317 85% 243,259

Budget YTD surplus/(deficit) 125,872

117,387 AGENDA

1078 Bruce Road 12, P.O. Box 150, Formosa ON Canada N0G 1W0 Tel 519-367-3040, Fax 519-367-3041, [email protected], www.svca.on.ca

Program Report August 6, 2020

Administration

During the months of June and July, efforts have focused on getting to know staff, pursue collaboration opportunities, address the evolving Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) situation, work to resolve outstanding, critical Environmental Planning and Regulations files, and chart a path forward over the next 5 months.

Two opportunities for collaboration have been identified, one with the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (to be discussed in Agenda Item 6d) and the second with the Nuclear Innovation Institute. The Nuclear Innovation Institute (NII) has informed Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority (SVCA) of the opportunity to engage in a mapping initiative which has been well received by our member municipalities. SVCA will pursue this opportunity to enhance our regulations mapping. It is anticipated that a Pilot Project will take first, prior to a larger scale investigation. The NII has also engaged in educational programming which might allow for SVCA’s education and outreach to also be enhanced.

SVCA has been involved in public outreach at the Durham Dams. Working collaboratively with staff from the Municipality of West Grey, fencing and signage has been posted to dissuade access to the structure. Work was needed to the Upper Durham Dam piers to remove and replace weak concrete. These activities were completed the week of July 20th and the upper reservoir was made available for swimming by the end of the work week. Repairs are still outstanding at the Lower Durham Dam. Some concrete work is anticipated the week of August 4th, concurrently support boards will be replaced. Once these repairs are completed, there will be a reconfiguration of the stone below the dam on the west side to establish better channel flow. This work is expected to occur in mid to late August.

Meetings attended June 2 – General Manager’s Meeting, Conservation Ontario June 3 – Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) – Opportunity for collaboration June 10 – EPR Related Site Visit – Township of West Grey June 11 – Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) – Opportunity for collaboration June 15 – Collaboration with Maitland Valley Conservation Authority June 16 – Township of Huron-Kinloss – General Introduction June 22 – Nuclear Innovation Institute – Opportunity for collaboration June 23 – Healthy Lake Huron Update – Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks June 25 – Township of Huron-Kinloss – On-line regulations mapping tutorial June 26 – General Manager’s Meeting, Conservation Ontario June 29 – EPR Related Discussion – Township of Southgate June 30 – Safety Village Tour July 1 – Opening of Cargill Visitor Centre

Forestry and Lands

Managed Forest Tax Incentive Program Staff have been working on completing Managed Forest Tax Incentive Program (MFTIP) plans for both landowners that are new to the program or are renewing following the completion of their last ten-year plan. To date, 21 plans have been completed for landowners across the SVCA watershed and into the MVCA watershed. MVCA does not offer private land forestry services aside from tree planting.

Bester Lake Hardwood Harvest The Bester Lake hardwood harvest that was tendered in 2017 has now been satisfactorily completed.

Invasive Species Control Measures Efforts to control giant hogweed, poison ivy, and butterbur invasive plants have been ongoing. Staff are confident that the spread of these plants is being controlled where visitors may come into contact with them.

Gypsy Moth Invasions There have been invasions of Gypsy Moth caterpillars in pockets of our watershed. Since staff have noticed a pocket of severe defoliation within the Greenock Swamp, a request was sent to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) to ask for the inclusion of this area in their forest health flights. Staff are hopeful that we will receive positive news that the infestation is quite small and not through the entire swamp. This defoliation may be caused by pests other than the Gypsy Moth. Areas to the south of the SVCA watershed have seen very high numbers of Gypsy Moth caterpillars this year.

Stoney Island CA Bridge Replacements Staff have been working with the Environmental Planning and Regulations Department to determine the approvals necessary for the replacement of bridges within Stoney Island CA. This work will be required to be completed within a couple of years as we plan for the removal of Ash trees due to the Emerald Ash Borer.

Conservation Areas A much-needed new dock was installed at the Varney CA for all to enjoy. SVCA conservation areas have been receiving a slightly increased use during the last month. Staff have been working on maintenance of these areas daily.

Campgrounds The staff at all three campgrounds have been working to ensure that the campgrounds can be open and safe for campers during this pandemic. There have New Varney Dock been numerous challenges with this, but each hurdle has been addressed. The water pump at Durham CA required immediate replacement.

Flood Warning

Watershed Conditions While it was a dry spring and early summer, the region has since received several rain events bringing the average monthly rainfall for July to 92 mm. This is approximately 131% of the historical monthly average for July. However, forecasters are calling for a relatively dry August and fall. While flows in the Saugeen River watershed are approaching baseflow, it is important to remember that a convective storm is still capable of producing enough runoff to cause flooding. Our flood forecasters will continue to stay vigilant.

Low Water Calculations Recent rain events have brought local conditions back in line with historical averages. As of July 27th, the region has received 100% of the historical 3-month average precipitation. This is up from 80% at the end of last month. Furthermore, river flows are 100% of historical monthly averages.

Lake Levels Lake Huron remains at 1986 record levels through July. There is a general agreement among agencies that levels will surpass 1986 levels by 5-12 cm. However, if there is an extended dry weather period through the rest of the summer the levels could drop surprisingly fast, although NW winds in excess of 70km/h have the potential to create issues for some of our shoreline residents.

WISKI The review and verification of hydrometric data continues and will be an ongoing task for the foreseeable future. Staff have spent considerable time on this task lately as it overlaps with the need to monitor for low water conditions. Additionally, staff have created new ways to analyze raw data, so that once input into the database, the need for additional time to refine the data is removed.

Gauge Maintenance and Upgrades The new LT1 datalogger, rain gauge and level sensor were installed at Hanover Gauge. After only one month, staff are impressed. Essentially, there has been no need to calibrate the sensor as has been the case with the conventional analog sensor which needs correction every few weeks. The next step to enhancing the use of the new datalogger will be to purchase a static IP SIM card to enable a secure and reliable 2-way telemetric connection so that data can be obtained remotely. This purchase will be made when necessary.. Maintenance on all other gauges continues with minor repairs to phonelines, sensors etc. Staff would like to bring a few more rain gauges online over the next 2-3 years, barring no unforeseen expenses.

Drone Training Staff are working on drone certification and licensing over the next few weeks. As the price for technology has come down over the past couple years, we believe it will be an impactful resource to have at our disposal. Aerial photography during a flood event can help calibrate flood mapping and can be used for communicating flood progress, identifying ice jams, etc.

Water Quality

Filamentous Algae We have received a surge in calls and email correspondence from watershed residents concerned about low lake levels and eutrophication. We have been responding to each of these inquiries and have conducted a few site visits where warranted. In general, the heat and precipitation patterns (e.g. short intense bursts) have resulted in a rapid accumulation of filamentous algae and aquatic vegetation in almost all cases. We have been using these interactions to establish connections with shoreline residents and to educate on best management practices to protect the aquatic environment.

Surface Water Staff have completed the fourth-of-eight surface water sampling runs in July. Due to COVID-19, the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) laboratory is closed, meaning that only 15 of the usual 29 samples were collected as they go to a separate private laboratory.

Biomonitoring Staff will begin sorting preserved samples as time permits. We sort the invertebrates to the “Family” taxonomic level.

Bruce Power Staff installed two YSI Exo-2 water quality sondes in June to support the Bruce Powers environmental monitoring and licensing program. These devices measure water quality at any given time including specific conductivity, pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, and turbidity. Staff will be back onsite in August to take samples.

Groundwater Staff recently completed maintenance of the Provincial Groundwater Monitoring Network wells and sent an update to our MECP partners. Staff will be completing data entry and corrections taking into account barometric pressure over the next couple of weeks., New cables and rain gauges are also expected to be installed at 3 wells. Last week, staff received approval from MECP to pump and sample the Brockton wells, as this task was postponed due to COVID-19 related closures.

Temperature Monitoring With the anticipated Markdale and Mildmay dam removals approaching, staff have made enclosures and deployed temperature loggers at various locations. It is expected that this data will capture pre and post- construction temperatures to accurately assess the efficacy of these projects, and to satisfy post-construction monitoring requirements.

Healthy Lake Huron With the closure of the MECP laboratory, all Healthy Lake Huron sampling affiliated with the Rural Stormwater Model has been postponed indefinitely. Staff continue to process data already collected. Additionally, a Hydrolab water quality sonde has been installed at the ISCO site to collect baseline data (i.e., pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, and turbidity).

Drain Classification Staff have recently received confirmation of financial support from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) to have 10 watercourses sampled through the Drain Classification Program. Sites were ranked and selected based on the needs of both the Environmental Planning and Regulations, as well as Water Management Departments.

Education

Spring and summer conservation education programming has been sparse, with COVID-19 limiting people gathering in groups from 5 to 10 participants. A new strategy of reaching out to youth in the SVCA watershed has been developed, including the use of in-house produced short educational videos for release through social media throughout the summer. Staff have also been busy revamping existing programs in preparation for what the fall may bring, as well as participating in webinars and virtual meetings.

New Outdoor School Opportunity A new venture is currently being explored as a partnership between Saugeen Conservation and the Town of Hanover, Parks and Recreation Department. One of the possible scenarios for school boards to employ due to COVID-19 restrictions includes the down-sizing of classes and having students attend every-other day, or week. Therefore, SVCA is investigating the option of offering a day-camp or outdoor school for students. Students could spend half of their day at the pool and the other half with staff at Sulphur Spring Conservation Area exploring the outdoors. This arrangement would allow a learning environment, while still encouraging physical activity for students when away from school. Should this opportunity transpire, advance registration will take place and will be handled by the Town of Hanover. Discussions and planning will continue as staff monitor the school board’s plans for the fall.

DEER All spring DEER programs have been re-scheduled to the fall. Staff are hoping that we can carry on conservation education programming. The DEER programming may have to take place on school property as there may be restrictions for moving students to various locations via school buses. Program content will be revised as new school board protocols are revealed.

WREN No school spring programming took place this year due to COVID-19, however, one program for a campground was run in mid-July as restrictions were loosened regarding group sizes. Scheduled fall WREN programming will be reviewed as the COVID-19 situation continues to evolve.

Earth Week 2020 This Enbridge sponsored program focuses on the importance of our natural resources and our need to conserve them. Registration fills quickly with up to 30 spots available for all schools in the SVCA watershed. Curriculum- based in-school programs are typically presented during the week of April 20th, but programming has been rescheduled to take place in mid-November in 2020.

Wild Encounters Nature Day Camp Annually, for the past 20 years, Saugeen Conservation, in partnership with Hanover Parks and Recreation, provides a week-long day camp at Sulphur Spring Conservation Area for youth aged 8 to 12. Unfortunately, the Town of Hanover decided mid-May to cancel all specialty camps including our Wild Encounters Nature Day Camp due to COVID-19 concerns.

Bruce Grey Forest Festival The 9th annual Bruce Grey Forest Festival (BGFF) was scheduled to take place at Allan Park, October 6, 7 & 8, where grade 7 students could learn about forestry resources through interactive hands-on activities. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 restrictions, including concerns the BGFF Board has over self-distancing and the need for heightened disinfection protocols, it was decided to cancel this year’s Festival. The Organizing Committee intends to invite those students who missed out on this year’s event to next year’s Festival.

Meetings Saugeen Nature; Grey Bruce Children’s Water Festival; Bruce Grey Forest Festival; Town of Hanover Parks and Recreation Department

Environmental Planning & Regulations

Issued Permits and Planning Applications Since Ontario declared a state of emergency and ordered a temporary restriction on new building projects requiring approvals, the number of new applications received by the Environmental Planning and Regulations Department (EPRD) in April 2020 was only half of the number recorded at the same time in 2019. New applications received in June, however, have been the busiest on record. The number of issued permits is currently on pace with 2019, due in part to gas line projects being permitted in May and June (multiple permits for each project).

Meetings and Webinars Staff attended the RAGBOS meeting on May 1st and participated in the Ontario Flood Strategy engagement sessions.

EPR staff have participated in several training sessions including the Excess Soil Regulation Webinar and the International Joint Commission (IJC) Lake Levels Webinar.

Projects • Phase 2 of the Southern Bruce County Natural Gas Line project review is underway. Approximately, 95% of the permitting is complete. • Enbridge Owen Sound Reinforcement Gas Line installation is also underway. Staff have been on-site overseeing the installation works at Saugeen River crossings via open trench, Rocky and North Saugeen Directional Drill, as well as the Styx River Bypass and Trench. • Staff are continuing to review the Kincardine Official Plan.

Shore Works and Erosion Inquiries Lake Huron is at or near record high levels. EPRD staff are receiving inquiries regarding erosion and shore works, including repairs of shore walls, on private, municipal, and public/crown land as trails and roadways are put at jeopardy. Environment and Climate Change Canada anticipates sustained high-lake levels through the remainder of the 2020 calendar year. Works adjacent to Lake Huron require SVCA approvals.

Planning Service Agreements The Authority had recommended in 2018 that any Planning Service Agreements not updated by January 2020 were to be cancelled by SVCA. This deadline was extended to the end of June 2020; however, discussions have again been postponed due to COVID-19. New draft Planning Service Agreements have been initiated by both Grey and Wellington Counties.

Community Relations Advertising The Community Relations and EPR departments are continuing to work towards improving the public perception of the work done by EPRD. As proposed in the Communications Plan created to assist with changing public perception, social media and radio advertisements continue to be employed to reach out to the public.

Annual Reporting on Permitting Timelines At the April 2020 meeting, the Authority was provided with a report on Conservation Ontario’s Client Service and Streamlining Initiative. The report was to be shared with member municipalities, with the opportunity for comment on SVCA’s proposed implementation of the recommendation. No comments have been received to date from member municipalities. Staff were also directed to implement the guidelines on a trial basis. Approximately 90% of the permits issued by SVCA have met the proposed timeline as outlined by the Client Service and Streamlining Initiative.

Issued Permit Report: 20-202 Southampton, Saugeen River Bridge (Structure SS-13) over the Saugeen River. Installation of rip rap protection along the piers of the Saugeen River Bridge (Structure SS-13), in Southampton. Watercourse.

20-200 Huron, 165 Bruce Beach. Cottage rebuild. Regulated Area.

20-199 Brant, 455 Lake Rosalind Rd 4; CON 3 NDR PT LOT 68. Removal of an existing wooden shore wall and shore deck, to facilitate construction of a tiered retaining wall system with walkway and armour stone shore wall along 47 metres of Lake Rosalind shoreline. Watercourse.

20-198 Brant, 453 Lake Rosalind Rd 4; CON 3 NDR PT LOT 68. The removal of an existing wooden shore wall, and replacement of approximately 16 metres of armour stone landscaping wall on the shore of Lake Rosalind. Watercourse.

20-197 Brant, 451 Lake Rosalind Rd 4; CON 3 NDR PT LOT 68. Removal of an existing wooden shore wall, and replacement of approximately 20 metres of armour stone landscaping wall on the shore of Lake Rosalind. Watercourse.

20-196 Bentinck, 21 Louise Creek Crescent, Lot 21 Plan 1097. Construction of a 2,075 square foot dwelling, installation of a sewage disposal system, and related excavation, filling, and grading, all within 120 metres of part of Louise, Boyd, McDonald Lakes Provincially Significant Wetlands. Regulated Area.

20-195 Bruce, 163 Lake Street (Inverhuron) Part Lot 26 Plan 372. Installation of additional shore protection 18- 24-inch broken stone to the existing erosion protection shorewall with related filling and grading. Regulated Area.

20-194 Saugeen, 1894 Bruce-Saugeen Townline; PT LT 2 Con 1. Construction of a 450 square foot detached accessory building, and related excavation, filling and grading. Regulated Area.

20-193 Neustadt, 125 William Street. Construction of 330 square foot addition, and 120 square foot attached deck and related excavation, filling and grading. Regulated Area.

20-192 Minto, 6196 16th Line, Pt Lot 17, Con 17. To construct a 2400 square foot drive shed and to rehabilitate a wetland, with related excavation, filling and grading. Regulated Area.

20-191 Egremont, 491131 Southgate Sideroad 49, Part Lot 11 Concession 5. Construction of a 1600 square foot detached accessory building, installation of a sewage disposal system, and related excavation, filling, and grading. Regulated Area.

20-190 Sullivan, Pt. Lot 19, Conc. 4. Culvert Replacement under a roadway. Regulated Area.

20-189 Huron, Sideroad 5 Culvert Replacements over the Sutton Municipal Drain. Replacement of an 1800mm diameter CSP; the removal and replacement of a cast-in-place concrete crossing with a 1500mm diameter CSP; and related excavation, placement of rip rap, and site restoration on Sideroad 5 over the Sutton Municipal Drain. Watercourse.

20-188 Kincardine Town, Queen St. adjacent to SVCA/Kincardine Slope Stability and Erosion Control project. Installation of plastic distribution natural gas pipelines via trench or directional drill. Regulated Area.

20-187 Kincardine Town, Kingsway Street storm sewer outlet at Lake Huron. Emergency repairs to the Kingsway Street storm sewer outlet, including replacement of the failed 24” CSP with a 24” HDPE pipe and placement of rip rap at the outlet. Watercourse.

20-186 Minto, 9553 O'Dwyer's Road, Part Lot 6 Concession 13, Part 2 Plan 60R1711. Construction of a 1,400 square foot dwelling, installation of a sewage disposal system, and related excavation, filling, and grading, all within 120 metres from part of Clifford-Harriston Provincially Significant Wetland. Regulated Area.

20-185 Proton, 085407 Grey Road 14, Part Lot 12 Concession 5, Part 10 Plan 17R186. Construction of a 1,536 ft2 detached accessory building, to be located within 120 metres of part of Gildale Wetlands Provincial Significant Wetlands, and related excavation, filling, and grading. Regulated Area.

20-184 Proton, 132675 Southgate Sideroad 13, Part 20 Plan 17R160, Part Lot 18 concession 15. Construction of a 1,536 ft2 detached accessory building, and related excavation, filling, and grading. Regulated Area.

20-183 Egremont, Grey County Structure 109-353 over the Norman Reeves Creek. Improvements to the northwest wingwall, erosion protection at the northeast wingwall, placement of rip rap, and associated site restoration. Regulated Area; Watercourse.

20-182 Elderslie, 395 Concession 8, Lots 26-27, Concession 8. The installation of systematic tile drainage adjacent to a wetland with outlets into Snake Creek and a tributary Watercourse. Regulated Area; Watercourse.

20-181 Saugeen, 314 Concession 4, Lot 9 Plan 3M230. Construction of an approximately 1200 ft2 detached accessory building, and related excavation, filling and grading. Regulated Area.

20-180 Osprey, 453053 Grey Road 2, PT LT 21 Con 3 SDR. The installation of systematic tile drainage, with outlets to the adjacent wetlands, and related excavating, grading, and filling. Regulated Area.

20-179 Kincardine Township, West Half 21, 22, 23 Part Lot 24, Conc. A. Temporary Culvert Crossing. Watercourse.

20-178 Proton, 152149 Southgate Sideroad 15, Lot 23 Concession 10. Installation of approximately 450-foot length of 8-inch diameter non-perforated agricultural drainage tile, to outlet the William Martin Farm at 146045 Southgate Road 14, into Scott Drainage Works; and related excavation, and grading. Regulated Area.

20-177 Proton, 146045 Southgate Road 14, South Part Lot 23, Concession 11. Installation of agricultural tile drainage, installation of laneway, construction of barn addition and shed addition, and related excavation, filling, and grading. Regulated Area.

20-176 Brant, 306 Metzger Drive; CON 3 NDR PT LT 68 & 69. Removal of an existing 64 m2 dwelling to reconstruct a two-storey structure with crawlspace, walkout patio, and attached deck in the same footprint. Regulated Area.

20-175 Huron, 30 Bell Drive; PLAN 2A LOT 8 S PT LOT 9 RAGLAN W/S RP 3R3308 PART 13 CL 3536 PARTS 3 & 4. Undertake maintenance dredging of the mouth of the Pine River from Lake Huron (in an area of approximately 30 feet wide by 100 feet long, no deeper than four (4) feet), and the placement of spoil on the existing driveway once dewatered. Watercourse.

20-174 Huron, 30 Boiler Beach Rd; PLAN 503 LOT 31. Construction of a multi-tiered engineered “Redi-Rock” retaining wall, and related excavation, filling, and grading. Regulated Area.

20-173 Egremont, 392056 Grey Road 109. To construct an approximately 28 m2 (300 ft2) elevated deck, and related excavation, filling, and site restoration. Regulated Area.

20-172 Minto, 5320 13th Line, Part Lot 68 and 69 Concession D. Construction of a 3,000 square foot addition to an existing barn building, and related excavation, filling, and grading, all within 120 metres from part of Clifford- Harriston Provincially Significant Wetland. Regulated Area.

20-171 Huron, 155 Bruce Beach Road, Part Lot 48, Concession A, Lot 155 Plan 343, Part 1 Plan 3R6874. Construction of a new foundation for the existing dwelling, construction of porch, and related excavation, filling, and grading. Regulated Area.

20-170 Kincardine Town, The shoreline west of Goderich Street from Bruce Ave. to Boiler Beach Road. To install an armour stone revetment underlaid with geotextile fabric to protect approximately 600 metres of shoreline, with related excavation, filling and grading. Watercourse.

20-169 Greenock, 1047 Bruce Road 20; CON 11 S PT LOT 16 LOT 17. To install a concrete catch basin adjacent to a culvert under Bruce Road 20; replace an existing tile drain with approximately 1500 feet of solid 12 inch diameter pipe through the Greenock Swamp Provincially Significant Wetland; and repair several areas of existing systematic tile drainage. Regulated Area.

20-168 Huron; Kincardine Town, Willow Rd., Lake Range Dr. South of Concession 12, Golf Links Rd., Southwest corner McCloed Ave. and Harbour St., Termination, Huron Terrace Harbour, Weick Blvd., Bruce Ave., Durham St., Davidson Centre, High 21 and Broadway Plaza, Russel St. west of Pierce. Installation of plastic distribution natural gas pipelines via trench or directional drill. Regulated Area.

20-167 Egremont, 104060 Southgate Road 10; CON 9 LOT 12 PT LOT 11 RP 16R8141 PART 1. To install systematic tile drainage, with outlets to an unnamed tributary to the Fairbanks Creek. Regulated Area.

20-166 Kincardine Township, 299 Victoria Street, PT LT 58 Con A. Construction of an approximately 116 square metre detached accessory building, and related excavation, filling and grading, including the installation of a swale, as indicated on the enclosed permit. Regulated Area.

20-165 Chesley, 1st Ave North, from 2nd Street NE to Bruce Road 10. The reconstruction of 1st Ave North from 2nd Street NE to Bruce Road 10, including replacement of concrete sidewalk, asphalt, watermain, and storm sewer; replacement of the Elliot Park concrete stairs; and associated site grading and restoration. Regulated Area.

20-164 Proton, Southgate Culvert S31 Replacement, Hanna Drainage Works Municipal Drain. The replacement of a 3.5m (span) by 2.4m (rise) CSPA culvert with two, 2.7m diameter CSP culverts on the Hanna Drainage Works Municipal Drain; and related excavation, placement of fill, grading, and site restoration. Regulated Area; Watercourse.

20-163 Artemesia, 305766 Southline A, Lots 34-36, Con 3SDR. The installation of systematic tile drainage in lands adjacent to a wetland with outlets into the Saugeen River and a wetland, and the removal of accumulated sediment from two drainage ditches. Regulated Area.

20-162 Culross, 2517 Concession 2, Part Lots 34-35 Concession 2, Part Road Allowance, Parts 1 and 3 Plan 3R9845. Construction of a 1,840 ft2 detached building, and related excavation, filling, and grading, all within 120 metres from part of Teeswater Complex Provincially Significant Wetland. Regulated Area.

20-161 Brant, 166 Maple Hill Road, Lots 60 and 61 Concession 1 SDR, Blocks 25 and 26 Plan 171, Parts 1, 2, 3 Plan 3R6634. Construction of a 484 square foot detached garage to the west of the existing dwelling, with related excavation, filling, and grading, and the conversion of the existing attached garage into residential living space. Regulated Area.

20-160 Huron, 763 Victoria Road; CON A PT LOT 10 RP 3R4203 PARTS 17 & 18. Construction of an approximate 340 square foot addition on the eastern side of the existing cottage, including an enclosed habitable portion (approx. 150 square feet) and covered porch (approx. 190 square feet). Regulated Area. 20-159 Elderslie, John Black Bridge, Bruce Rd 10, North Saugeen River. To make repairs to the bridge deck, piers, barrier walls, curbs and abutments, and to place erosion protection rip rap along the abutment slopes. Watercourse.

20-158 Kincardine Township, 77 Lake St, Pt Lot 67, Con A. To repair an existing rock revetment, including the addition of 18 to 36-inch diameter rip rap, with related excavation, filling and grading. Watercourse.

20-157 Southampton, 484 Eckford Avenue. To remove an 800 square foot dwelling and construct an 1,862 square foot dwelling with basement, attached garage and deck, and related excavation, filling and grading. Regulated Area.

20-156 Walkerton, 101 Alma Street. Install 21 metres of 12.7mm (0.5 inches) PE natural gas service pipeline using the horizontal directional drill method to service the customer at 101 Alma Street. Regulated Area.

20-155 Neustadt, 324 David Winkler Parkway, Plan 163 Pt Lt 22. To remove an existing 1064 square foot dwelling and construct a 1216 square foot dwelling with attached garage and deck, with related excavation, filling and grading. Regulated Area.

20-154 Southampton, Parts 1 & 2, RP 3R456. Construction of a Garage. Regulated Area.

20-153 Bruce, 161 Lake Street. To replace a 170 square foot exterior balcony and staircase with a 56 square foot exterior balcony and staircase. Regulated Area.

20-152 Kincardine Town, Culvert Replacement – Structure 2209, Stewart Municipal Drain, Bruce Avenue. The replacement of a 4370mm (span) by 2900mm (rise) CSPA culvert with a 5000 mm (span) by 2700mm (rise) concrete box culvert; reconstruction of Bruce Ave; and related excavation, placement of fill, grading, and site restoration. Regulated Area.; Watercourse.

20-151 Huron, 159 Bruce Beach Road, Unit 2, Part Lot 48 Concession A. To raise the existing 40 foot (east-west) by 32 foot (north-south) dwelling to construct a basement under the existing dwelling, and construction of a 24 foot (east-west) by 14 foot (north-south) detached garage to the north of the existing dwelling, and related excavation and grading. Regulated Area.

20-150 Artemesia, 280149 Artemesia-Southgate Townline; PT LT 190 Con 2 SWTSR. Construction of a 385 square foot accessory building, squaring off deck, small retaining wall and any related filling and grading. Regulated Area.

20-149 Bentinck, Saugeen River tributary Watercourse. at Grey Rd 3, 700 m north of Old Bridge Rd North. To replace two 600mm CSP culverts with a single 750mm HDPE culvert, with related excavating, filling, and grading. Watercourse.

20-148 Kincardine Township, 85 Lake Street To repair an existing rock revetment, including the addition of 18 to 36-inch diameter rip rap underlaid with geotextile fabric, with related excavation, filling and grading. Watercourse.

20-147 Kincardine Town, BS-1, Broadway Street At Penetangore River. Horizontal Dictional Drill under Watercourse. Watercourse.

20-146 Kincardine Town, BR23-1. Horizontal Directional Drill of a Natural Gas Line under Penetangore River. Watercourse.

20-145 Huron; Kincardine Town, Park Place south of Gregg's Trail , Boiler Beach at heritage dr. , bioler beach at lot 55 , park place south of heritage dr., Kin-1 , Kin-2 standard, Kin-3 , Kin-4 minor, Kin-5 , Kin-6 standard, Kin-7 , Kingsway and Princess St. , Parker St. at Princess , J. Dahmer Drain (Area of Hwy 21, Andrew, Abbey, Russell St.), Hwy. 21 at lot 1 concession 2 . Natural Gas Line installation. Watercourse.

20-144 Huron; Kincardine Town, LRD-10 minor, LRD-11, LRD-12, Russel St. Kincardine Bypass. Natural Gas line installation. Watercourse.

20-143 Huron; Kincardine Town, Bioler Beach, Goderich St.. Saugeen St., Lower Beach Rd. Gas Line installation in Regulated Area. Regulated Area.

20-142 Huron; Kincardine Town, Conc. 10, Heritage Dr., Kennedy Rd., Mccormick Dr., Conc 12, Bruce Ave. Lambton St., Durham St., Broadway St., Kingsway St., Maccaskill Rd. Works on the Glacial Lake Bluff within the existing road allowance. Regulated Area.

20-141 Kincardine Township, BR23-8, BR23-9. HDD Installation of a natural gas pipeline. Watercourse.

20-140 Kincardine Township, 27/28 Inverness North, West Half 21, 22, 23 PArt Lot 24, Conc. A. Stormwater Management Outlet installation. Regulated Area.

20-139 Glenelg, Bell Creek tributary Watercourse. at Grey Rd 4, 60 m northwest of Concession 2. To replace a 900mm CSP culvert with a 900mm HDPE culvert, including the installation of a temporary 900mm HDPE diversion culvert, with related excavating, filling, and grading. Watercourse.

20-138 Sullivan, North Saugeen River tributary Watercourse. at Grey Rd 25, 860 m east of Concession 12. To replace a 1100 CSP culvert with a 1050 HDPE culvert, with related filling, excavation, and grading. Watercourse.

20-137 Egremont, 391356 Grey Road 109. To dredge an existing 29 metre x 34 metre elliptical pond from approximately 10 ft depth to 14 ft depth. Regulated Area.; Watercourse.

20-136 Proton, 246290 Southgate Road 24, Part lot 29 Concession 16. Installation of agricultural tile drainage, and related excavation, filling, and grading. Regulated Area.

20-135 Brant, Unassigned Civic Address; CON 3 NDR PT LOT 71 RP 3R3430 PART 2. To repair existing shoreline revetment with the placement of armour stone boulders, and repair areas of patio stone along the shoreline of Lake Rosalind. Regulated Area.

20-134 Normanby, Beatty Saugeen River tributary Watercourse. at Grey Rd 3, 415 metres south of Normanby- Bentinck Townline. To replace a 600mm CSP culvert with a 600mm HDPE culvert, with related excavating, filling, and grading. Watercourse.

20-133 Kincardine Town, Lot 8 Campbell Ave. 6 Plex Subdivision Development. Regulated Area.

20-132 Howick, 91114 Mud Lake Line North; CON 18 LOT 30 AND RP 22R4982 PARTS 3 AND 4. To cleanout approximately 120 metres of an unnamed natural Watercourse. (tributary to the Zimmerman Drainage Works Municipal Drain, within the Municipality of South Bruce). Watercourse.

20-131 Howick, 91027 Mud Lake Line North; CON 18 N PT LOT 31 N PT LOT 32. To cleanout approximately 210 metres of an unnamed natural Watercourse. (tributary to the Zimmerman Drainage Works Municipal Drain, within the Municipality of South Bruce). Watercourse.

20-130 Howick, 46290 Elora Street North; CON 18 PT LOTS 32 AND 33 RP 22R4374 PART 4 PT PARTS 5. To cleanout approximately 575 metres of an unnamed natural Watercourse. (tributary to the Zimmerman Drainage Works Municipal Drain, within the Municipality of South Bruce), and restore eroded banks. Watercourse.

20-129 Southampton, 159 Breadalbane Street South. Construct a 12 x 18 foot storage shed on a concrete block base and related site restoration. Regulated Area.

20-128 Egremont, unassigned civic address, Southgate-Glenelg Townline, North Part Lot 24 Concession 22. Construction of a dwelling, detached barn, installation of sewage disposal system, and related excavation, filling, and grading, adjacent to part of Boothville Swamp, Provincially Significant Wetlands (PSW). Regulated Area.

20-127 Egremont, 244691 Southgate Road 24; CON 20 LOT 27. To cleanout approximately 735 metres of an unnamed Watercourse., and to install a 450mm culvert crossing approximately 6 metres in length. Watercourse.

20-126 Proton, 245019 Southgate Road 24; CON 17 LOT 1. To install systematic tile drainage adjacent to wetlands, with outlet to a Watercourse. and a previously installed non-perforated drain through the Dromore Swamp Wetland Complex (SVCA Permit No. 19-288). Regulated Area.

20-125 Clifford, 50 Minto Street N. Install 22 metres of NPS 50mm (2”) PE gas main and approximately 200 metres of 31.75mm (1 ¼”) PE gas service line using the horizontal directional drill method under the Minto Municipal Drain No. 93. Watercourse.

20-124 Proton, 192020 Southgate Sideroad 19, Lot 27 Concession 9. Construction of an addition, porches and balcony to the existing dwelling, enlarging the existing sewage disposal system, and related excavation, filling, and grading. Regulated Area.

20-123 Bruce, Little Sauble River tributary Watercourse. at Concession Rd 2, 480 metres east of Sideroad 10. To replace twin CSPA culverts with a single 2230mm (span) by 1700mm (rise) CSPA culvert, with related excavation, filling and grading. Watercourse.

20-122 Egremont, Lot 16, 1 Orchardville Sideroad Bridge. Bridge Removal. Watercourse.

20-121 Saugeen, 57 Harman Ave. Cottage Addition. Regulated Area.

20-120 Proton, unassigned civic address, Southgate Road 24, Part Lots 28 and 29, Concession 16. Installation of agricultural tile drainage, cleanout of a Watercourse., and related excavation, filling and grading. Regulated Area.; Watercourse.

20-119 Bruce, 246 Sunset Drive. To construct a 20-foot diameter elevated yurt, construct a 13 foot by 20 foot elevated deck adjacent to the yurt, construct a 10 foot x 14 foot storage shed, and all associated filling, grading, and restoration. Regulated Area.

20-118 Huron, 58 Moore Drive; PLAN 2A N PT LOT 14 ALBERT E/S. Site alteration to replace a sewage disposal system, including the decommissioning of an existing tank and installation of a new tank and weeping bed. Regulated Area.

20-117 Carrick, 42 Tack Road; CON 3 LOTS 21, 22 & 23. Repair systematic tile drainage and re-install runs of perforated tile adjacent to an unnamed tributary to Carrick Creek. Regulated Area.

20-116 Kincardine Town, 360 Goderich St. To install a temporary rip rap revetment underlaid with geotextile fabric in front of approximately 20 feet of existing shore protection, with related excavation, filling and grading. Watercourse.

20-115 Kincardine Town, Bruce Ave – Between Princess Street S and Park Street. Open trench installation of approximately 320 metres of 100mm (4”) PVC DB2 conduit; removal of 5 utility poles; and related excavation and grading along Bruce Ave. Regulated Area.

20-114 Walkerton, Pt Lt 21, Conc 1, SDR, RP 3R5553. Site grading, filling and alteration adjacent to floodplain for installation of a SWM pond and outlet. Regulated Area.

20-113 Bruce, Lake Huron shoreline near 88 Sunset Drive, Lot 47, Lake Range. To remove a temporary rip rap shore revetment and install a new, temporary rip rap shore revetment underlaid with geotextile fabric along 85 metres of shoreline, with related excavation, filling and grading. Watercourse.

20-112 Bentinck, LT 57 LT 58 Con 2 SDR. Construction of a 12500 square foot barn, gravel pad, and separation berm and related excavation, filling and grading. Regulated Area.

20-111 Bruce, Mill Creek tributary Watercourse. at Sideroad 20, 490 metres north of Concession 8. Lot 20, Con 9. To replace a 1400 mm CSP culvert with a 1500 mm SRPE culvert, with related excavation, filling and grading. Watercourse.

20-110 Proton, 106544 Southgate Road 10; CON 6, LOT 35. Installation of two outlets for systematic drainage on adjacent property into Keilau MD. Regulated Area.

20-109 Proton, Unassigned civic; CON 6 LOT 36. Systematic tile drainage with outlet to Keilau MD. Regulated Area.

20-108 Egremont, 043793 Southgate Road 04, Part Lots 6 and 7 Concession 6. Installation of agricultural tile drainage, and related excavation, filling, and grading. Regulated Area.

20-107 Bruce, 169A Lake Street (Inverhuron), Lot 23 Plan 372. Installation of armour stone shoreline erosion protection to the east of existing shoreline erosion protection, and related excavation, filling, and grading. Regulated Area.

20-106 Kincardine Town, 376 Penetangore Row, Lot 12 W/S Penetangore. Construction of a detached garage and replacement of existing retaining wall, and related excavation, filling, and grading. Regulated Area.

20-105 Bruce, 215 Scott’s Point Road. Improve an existing shoreline retaining wall by placing 32 metres (105 feet) of Terrablock gravity retaining wall, keyed into the lakeshore, along with 35 m3 of rip rap, sand and topsoil backfill. Regulated Area; Watercourse.

20-104 Arran, Crossings 10, 7, 5, 4, 3, 2, Saugeen Gas Line Enbridge. Directional Drill of services under 6 Watercourse. Watercourse. July 2020 Saugeen Conservation

COMMUNICATIONS Program Report

Greenock Swamp Cargill Visitor Centre

The Visitor Centre in Cargill has been very popular with wetland related topics, etc. Stop in and say hi! locals and visitors alike. A low prole opening of the Centre was held on July 1st. The Centre is open from Wednesdays to Sundays, 10am to 5pm. Please remember to wear a mask and abide by Kyle Henkenhaf (above right), is our summer student, COVID-19 standards. hired through the Canada Summer Jobs program. Kyle has done an excellent job of greeting visitors, looking To date over 150 people have visited the Centre from as after the Centre, putting together new publications on far as Manitoba, Kitchener and Grand Bend.

Communicating Far and Wide During COVID-19

It has certainly been a year for reaching out beyond our current neighbours and researching information, signage, directions, etc., for COVID-19. Special thanks to our member municipalities, Grey, Bruce, Huron and Wellington Counties, Grey Bruce Health Unit, the Province of Ontario, Conservation Ontario and many more for keeping us in the loop with respect to COVID-19 direction and protocols. COMMUNICATIONS Program Report page 2 Volunteers

Over the past few months, we've had a number of people call in about volunteering in the conservation eld. Both the Authority and Foundation depend on volunteers to implement many of our programs and services, including the maintenance of our Conservation Areas and Lands. Volunteers are required to ll out a form requesting basic information as well as interests. They also undergo a face to face interview and provide staff with information regarding photo permissions.

To date, both the Authority and Foundation have a database with 350 volunteers, 65 local businesses and organizations that assist us with various projects and 47 major sponsors (donations in excess of $1,000 – cash and in- kind), to help support various initiatives.

Saugeen River Canoe Route Signage

Many of our natural areas have been inundated with visitors hoping to get outside after months of being isolated. Local tourism associations have reported record numbers (sometimes overwhelming), at local parks and attractions. One of the attractions getting increased usage has been the Saugeen River Canoe Route. Staff will be meeting up (Zoom), with representatives from Bruce and Grey Counties, as well as the Town of Hanover, Municipalities of Brockton, Arran-Elderslie and Saugeen Shores to review usage, signage, access points, maintenance and more.

Brockton Video The Communications Department has been very busy Staff had a great time taking part in a video which producing COVID-19 signage for our parks and lands. focussed on the Greenock Swamp for the Municipality As conditions improve or change, additional signage has of Brockton’s virtual Canada Day Celebrations. Thanks been changed. for the opportunity!

Website Updates Staff have been frequently updating the SVCA website during this COVID-19 pandemic as it has been important for the public to understand which amenities are open and available for use on our properties. AGENDA

SAUGEEN VALLEY CONSERVATION AUTHORITY

Conservation through Cooperation MINUTES

MEETING: EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE DATE: Thursday July 16, 2020 TIME: 1:00 p.m. LOCATION: Remote (Zoom)

CHAIR: Dan Gieruszak

MEMBERS PRESENT: Maureen Couture, Barbara Dobreen, Mike Myatt, Christine Robinson

OTHERS PRESENT: Jennifer Stephens, GM/S-T Laura Molson, Manager, Accounting Janice Hagan, Recording Secretary

The meeting was called to order at 1:03 p.m.

1. Adoption of the Agenda MOTION #E20-12 Moved by Barbara Dobreen Seconded by Maureen Couture THAT the agenda be adopted as presented. CARRIED

2. Declaration of pecuniary interest

No persons declared a pecuniary interest relative to any item on the agenda.

3. Minutes of the Executive Committee Meeting – February 6, 2020 MOTION #E20-13 Moved by Christine Robinson Seconded by Barbara Dobreen THAT the minutes of the Executive Committee meeting, February 6, 2020 be approved as circulated. CARRIED

4. New Business a. Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic Response Update

Jennifer Stephens, GM/S-T, reviewed the submitted report and highlighted actions taken by SVCA staff. A summary of the report will be distributed to the watershed municipalities once the plan has Executive Committee – July 16, 2020 been circulated to the full Authority. The Members discussed a possible timeline for returning to face-to-face Authority meetings and the October meeting may be a consideration. After further discussion, the following motion was passed:

MOTION #E20-14 Moved by Mike Myatt Seconded by Barbara Dobreen THAT the Administration Office remain closed until September 8, 2020; and further

THAT the necessary measures to protect the health and safety of staff and visitors be presented to the Authority on August 6th, 2020 for endorsement. CARRIED

b. Creation of SVCA Strategic Action Plan

The GM/S-T discussed the necessity of the creation of a Strategic Action Plan since the previous strategic plan had expired in 2016. She noted that it is a priority for the Authority to review the current Mission & Vision statement which will be discussed at the August Authority meeting. She told the Members that it is her intention to prepare the document internally with staff assistance but would reach out to external consultants if necessary. It was indicated that member municipalities, staff, and the community would all be engaged in a completely interactive and immersive process, including group sessions, meetings, and open-house forums. After further discussion, the following motion was passed:

MOTION #E20-15 Moved by Maureen Couture Seconded by Mike Myatt THAT the report, “Proposal to Develop Strategic Action Plan” be received as information; and further

THAT this proposal and a recommended Communications Plan be presented to the Authority at the August 6th, 2020 meeting for endorsement. CARRIED

MOTION #E20-16 Moved by Barbara Dobreen Seconded by Mike Myatt THAT the Authority move to Closed Session, In Camera, to discuss matters relating to identifiable individuals; and further

THAT Jennifer Stephens, Laura Molson, and Janice Hagan remain in the meeting. CARRIED

Executive Committee – July 16, 2020

MOTION #E20-21 Moved by Christine Robinson Seconded by Barbara Dobreen THAT the Authority adjourn from Closed Session, In Camera, and rise and report. CARRIED

It was reported that direction was given to staff during the Closed Session.

5. Other Business a. Executive Committee Members

The Members requested information regarding the rules surrounding the 5th person invited to an Executive Committee meeting and whether this person has a right to a vote. Staff presented the applicable by-law showing that the 5th person is a member of the Executive Committee when invited to be in attendance.

“The Authority may appoint an executive committee at the first meeting of the General Membership each year in accordance with the Section 19 of the Act and Section 1(c) (vi) of this by-law. The Executive Committee will consist of the Chair, 1st Vice Chair and 2nd Vice Chair and immediate Past Chair or Member-at-Large. One other Additional Member will be appointed by the Chair prior to each meeting.” Section 1(b) (xiii)

b. Meeting Procedures – Motions

The Executive Committee Members requested that, due to challenges during remote meetings, motions be received prior to the meeting along with suggested movers/seconders. Should the Member not wish to move/second the motion, staff would be contacted, and the motion re- assigned.

There being no further business the meeting adjourned at 4:35 p.m. on motion of Maureen Couture and Barbara Dobreen.

______Dan Gieruszak Janice Hagan Chair Recording Secretary

AGENDA

May 28, 2020

The Honourable Bill Morneau Minister of Finance

The Honourable Catherine McKenna Minister of Infrastructure and Communities

The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson Minister of Environment and Climate Change

Via E-mail

Conservation Authorities – Implementation Agents for Stimulating a More Resilient, Sustainable and Green Canadian Economy

Conservation Ontario represents the network of Ontario’s 36 conservation authorities. We are writing to express our interest in working with your government to advance our shared objectives and to request your support for some program design considerations for any potential economic stimulus package arising from COVID-19.

As the Federal government assesses the ever-changing Canadian landscape due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is abundantly clear that our way of life has been indefinitely disrupted. After spending the last two months predominantly indoors, Canadians are experiencing an unfamiliar disconnection from the natural world. With long-awaited warm weather arriving in Ontario, millions of Canadians are inspired to reconnect with natural areas, greenways, and trails as a reprieve to their mental and physical health.

The pandemic has additionally emphasized the need for access to the environment, through cleaner air, clearer water, and greener spaces. As restrictions begin to ease, Canadians are eager to recreate and improve the quality of open spaces and to invest in important projects. Governments and sectors of the economy that have been negatively impacted are looking to the government to stimulate the move towards a more resilient, sustainable green economy.

Ontario’s Conservation Authorities, which cover a watershed jurisdiction that includes approximately 40% of the national population are uniquely qualified implementation agents, proficient and experienced in assisting all levels of government in delivering shovel worthy projects and programs. Any

120 Bayview Parkway Newmarket Ontario L3Y 3W3 Tel: (905) 895-0716 Fax: (905) 895-0751 Email: [email protected] 1 www.conservationontario.ca economic stimulus program arising from this pandemic provides a rare opportunity for the Federal government to further our collective mission to protect, conserve and restore natural resources and develop resilient communities through education, the application of science, community engagement, service excellence and collaboration with our partners.

Conservation authorities are collaborating in many initiatives across the province including the Healthy Lake Huron and Lake Erie Action Plans to restore priority watersheds that drain into Lakes Erie and Huron using rural storm water management systems, wetland restoration, tree planting and promotion of soil health practices. Conservation authorities are also critical partners in the Greenbelt Foundation’s Positively Green Initiative, a collaboration with 13 conservation authorities located in and around Ontario’s greenbelt area. The projects identified in their proposal are valued at $85 million and provide further evidence that the environmental sector is good for job creation, and, building better climate and community economic resilience.

Conservation Ontario represents the collective interests of all conservation authorities across the province and we are aware that conservation authorities are having discussions with senior staff in your Ministries about project priorities in their individual jurisdictions. We would like to take this opportunity to highlight potential funding opportunities for vital projects within our collective jurisdiction, which would facilitate flood and erosion risk reduction, nature-based climate solutions, expansion of green infrastructure, climate change adaptation and Great Lakes health.

Prior to delving into the details of these initiatives, we wanted to recognize how investing in conservation authorities allows the government to realize their re-employment objectives and promote prudent spending while operating during these difficult economic times. The following financial realities are widely supported by scientific studies:

 Investments in trails and green spaces lowers the need for more expensive investments in hospitals and health care.  Investments in the existing critical flood and erosion control infrastructure managed by conservation authorities protects life and property and avoids significant costs associated with flooding in Ontario  Investments in ‘living shorelines’ is more sustainable and resilient than investing in sheet steel/hard shorelines, reduces long-term operational costs, and provides multiple secondary benefits.  Investments in green infrastructure creates jobs and is both effective and cost effective in the short and long-term.

It is therefore with good reason that Conservation Authorities see funding opportunities as a win-win situation, as your investment to facilitate Canada’s economic recovery from pandemic conditions will also further develop resilient and prosperous watersheds throughout the Province.

To achieve this shared vision for a more resilient, sustainable and green economy, we feel there is an important opportunity for various ministries within your government to work directly with conservation authorities to undertake projects that will, in turn, stimulate other local business and sectors. For example:

120 Bayview Parkway Newmarket Ontario L3Y 3W3 Tel: (905) 895-0716 Fax: (905) 895-0751 Email: [email protected] 2 www.conservationontario.ca

 Building Resiliency: Public and private infrastructure is particularly vulnerable to impacts from climate change as municipalities in Canada struggle with the cost of maintaining these crucial assets. Research is showing that investments in adaptation and risk mitigation measures can help ensure Canadian communities are resilient to threats caused by a changing climate, including risks to our public infrastructure. Some studies have shown a return on investment around 6:1, meaning that for every dollar invested in mitigation measures, $6 is saved in future damages.

Conservation authority water and erosion control infrastructure annually already helps to avoid at least $150 M in damages to properties. We deliver this program in partnership with the Province of Ontario for a total project investment of $10 million (Provincial contribution is $5 million). In response to increasing risk associated with climate change (e.g. high water levels and flooding/erosion), the 2020/2021 funding envelope for the program is oversubscribed by almost two-fold with an estimated total project cost of more than $19 million for 102 project submissions from 30 conservation authorities across the Province.

In addition, over the past 13 years, conservation authorities have identified, on average, 128 studies and repair projects each year and this demand is expected to continue. These shovel worthy/shovel ready studies and repair projects are an investment in jobs and economic activity (e.g. consultants, contractors, materials) and are vital in protecting the people of Ontario from flood and erosion risk.

Federal investment in water and erosion control and green infrastructure programs would mean that more studies and projects could be completed by providing a greater proportion of total project costs to relieve the burden on municipal budgets. This would accelerate work to make critical infrastructure safe and resilient to the increasing impacts of climate change while stimulating the economy. On Toronto’s waterfront for example, investments in protecting infrastructure such as water treatment plants, Billy Bishop Airport and connecting road and transmission networks from erosion will limit risks of failure, lengthen replacement cycles, so as to protect these essential assets for the long-term.

 Greenspaces and Nature based activities for health and wellbeing: Over these last several months, we have learned just how important getting outside and visiting greenspaces and greenways are to the general public while experiencing pandemic conditions. Conservation Authorities collectively own and manage just over 500 conservation areas and over 3,500 km of trails that were visited by over 8 million people in 2018.

These natural areas offer a wide variety of nature-based activities that provide important mental and physical benefits to users. Visitors to these areas also provide spillover benefits to nearby communities visiting shops, cultural venues and restaurants. Conservation Areas and Greenways have positive impacts on property values and are a deciding factor for many individuals and industries choosing a new location. The Ontario Trails Council identified that in 2016, for example, trails represented over $2 billion to the Ontario economy. In addition, being active, especially in outdoor spaces, has significant impact to the health of our communities, and in particular children’s health. Health Canada estimates that only 12% of youth get adequate exercise.

120 Bayview Parkway Newmarket Ontario L3Y 3W3 Tel: (905) 895-0716 Fax: (905) 895-0751 Email: [email protected] 3 www.conservationontario.ca

In addition to these benefits, Federal investments in trails, greenways and conservation areas (e.g. land acquisition, infrastructure improvements such as improved and widened trails and bridges, active/green transportation links to similar sites or communities, touchless gates and pay systems as well as visitor monitoring systems and consistent signage) would enable safer visits in pandemic conditions and educate the public on how looking after the health of our environment will help to prevent future pandemics from occurring.

 Healthy Great Lakes: Investments in conservation authority Rural Clean Water programs help to maintain soil health for agriculture and reduce nutrient loadings to the Great Lakes as documented in the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, and through existing Federal support of collaborative efforts to implement the Lake Erie Action Plan, and Healthy Lake Huron.

In 2018 conservation authorities engaged 737 landowners resulting in 683 projects (82% Agricultural). Over $3 M grant dollars were provided to landowners to implement projects including windbreaks, soil erosion control measures, manure storage, stream buffers. The total value of these projects was estimated to be in the order of $7.5 M to the rural and agriculture economy which went to design, materials, contractors and farmers to implement the projects. There is a greater demand for projects than funding available.

In order to actually improve the health and resiliency of the watersheds, new investments are needed to increase the scale, scope and intensity of our efforts. In economic stimulus studies undertaken in the United States it was estimated that every dollar invested in the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is projected to generate more than three dollars in additional economic activity.

 Habitat Enhancement, Rehabilitation and Restoration: Conservation authorities could increase delivery of habitat restoration and rehabilitation projects that provide multiple benefits to healthy Great Lakes, natural infrastructure, maintaining biodiversity, protecting water supplies, sequestering carbon, building climate resilience and air quality as well as flood resilience. In 2018 conservation authorities engaged close to 800 landowners resulting in almost 1500 projects:  201 wetland projects  911 habitat projects  259 shoreline riparian projects o 65 stream/fish habitat projects  178 projects aimed at invasive species management  135 projects were aimed to protect and restore species at risk habitat  673 hectares and 46 km of stream restored or rehabilitated

Total value of these projects was close to $18 M supporting project planning/consultants, supplies, contractors, materials and labour to implement the projects.

These programs are delivered in partnership with agencies like Forests Ontario, which has documented the economic impact of tree planting and restoration programs in local economies. This study reported that the GDP impact on the Canadian economy of tree planting activities in Southern Ontario is estimated to be $12.7 million annually. This equates to a 3:1 return on investment for the government’s annual investment in the 50 Million Tree Program of which CAs are

120 Bayview Parkway Newmarket Ontario L3Y 3W3 Tel: (905) 895-0716 Fax: (905) 895-0751 Email: [email protected] 4 www.conservationontario.ca key partners (planting over 50 percent of the trees funded under this program) which is more than any other agency under this program.

Stimulus investments would enable conservation authorities to meet the greater demand for projects. In 2018 they planted close to 2 Million trees on over 1100 hectares of land in southern Ontario. Over 2,000 landowners were engaged, resulting in 1,173 projects. Close to $4.5 M grant dollars were provided to projects generating a total value of over $5 M to the urban, rural and agricultural (44%) economy which went to planning, nurseries, tree planters, machinery and supplies.

Stimulus investments need to include delivery of habitat restoration and rehabilitation projects that will restore the health of forests, wetlands and rivers.

Key Short-term Program Design Considerations

We believe that immediate and short term stimulus funding is needed to support resilient, sustainable, healthy, and prosperous communities and watersheds through investment in the types of projects described above. This investment can be administered through modifications to existing programs like the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund (DMAF), the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP) and Great Lakes Protection Initiative (GLPI), to swiftly generate job growth and new economic activity across the province. This would respond to the needs of small, rural and northern communities and farmers, in addition to the demands being placed on larger urban communities due to this Pandemic.

Some key short-term program design considerations include:

 Increase investment in currently eligible projects described above and make these projects specifically eligible.

 Continue to allow Conservation Authorities the flexibility to apply directly for these funding programs and to include our municipal and agency partners as part of future intake processes.

 Modify the funding distribution to 75-100% federal contributions and modify program design to benefit all communities with smaller projects. Our municipal partners have communicated consistently that finding matching funds for infrastructure and other projects will be challenging at this time because of the budget impacts of COVID 19 pandemic response. This issue is further exacerbated by the high dollar value expected for eligible projects (e.g. DMAF program). .

 Include Environmental Assessment and project planning design elements in addition to construction as eligible for stimulus funding. A project that is well-planned and designed takes time and money and is an investment into shovel worthy project construction.

 Include as eligible, monitoring of environmental improvements, water quality, quantity, air quality, forest cover, biodiversity and areas of wetlands and other natural systems improved through restoration to track program effectiveness and long term climate trends, in addition to evaluating and reporting the resulting job creation and benefits of economic stimulus to local economies.

120 Bayview Parkway Newmarket Ontario L3Y 3W3 Tel: (905) 895-0716 Fax: (905) 895-0751 Email: [email protected] 5 www.conservationontario.ca

Moving Forward

Summary of immediate Conservation Authority opportunities:

 Modifications to current federal programs will create projects that support jobs and stimulate local economies and provides an opportunity for quick implementation.

 Additional investments will stimulate flood and erosion control infrastructure projects in 2020/21. Such investment will mean the difference in whether or not many 2020/21 shovel ready/worthy flood and erosion control infrastructure studies and repair projects will occur.

 Federal investments in conservation authority trails, greenways and conservation areas will enable safer visits in pandemic conditions and educate the public about the importance of maintaining a healthy environment.

 Conservation authorities have many shovel ready/worthy and near ready, habitat enhancement, restoration and rehabilitation projects, often with many local partners.

 A greater investment in clean water projects will accelerate improvements to water quality of the Great Lakes and in our watersheds.

 With additional investments, conservation authorities can increase tree planting and habitat enhancement, rehabilitation and restoration across the province.

Conservation authorities have already started to develop and implement new standards and practices to ensure safety of staff and the public as they deliver current essential services under pandemic conditions, and plan for a broader delivery of programs and services as we recover towards what we believe will be a new resilient economy that continues to position Ontario, and Canada, competitively in the future.

While there is no specific blueprint for the Federal government to restart the Canadian economy under pandemic conditions such as we are experiencing, it makes sense to invest in projects and programs with experienced and tested partners who can provide additional co-benefits to other struggling local businesses and sectors. Ontario’s conservation authorities offer a number of ready areas to develop or expand which will not just help people to get back to work and business to re-open, but will also be part of the growing foundation for the establishment of a greener economy which will take us into the future and better position us to develop more resilient, greener, healthy, and prosperous communities.

We thank you for your support with previous and current successful programs, such as the GLPI, DMAF, ICIP, and National Disaster Mitigation Program (NDMP). In developing an updated green economic stimulus program, we ask for your support to increase investments and to build upon the current or new programs following the above design considerations. This will ensure streamlined release of short-term stimulus funding.

120 Bayview Parkway Newmarket Ontario L3Y 3W3 Tel: (905) 895-0716 Fax: (905) 895-0751 Email: [email protected] 6 www.conservationontario.ca

On behalf of Conservation Ontario we would be pleased to meet with you and your staff to discuss our interest in the above and how we could work with you to support our mutual objectives.

Sincerely,

Chair of Conservation Ontario

Cc: The Honourable Bill Blair, Minister Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness The Honourable Seamus O’Regan, Minister Natural Resources The Honourable Marie-Claude-Bibeau, Minister Agriculture and Agri-Food

120 Bayview Parkway Newmarket Ontario L3Y 3W3 Tel: (905) 895-0716 Fax: (905) 895-0751 Email: [email protected] 7 www.conservationontario.ca

June 3, 2020

The Honourable Jeff Yurek Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) 777 Bay Street, 5th Floor Toronto, ON, M7A 2J3

Sent via email to: [email protected]

Re: Conservation Authorities: Next Steps

Dear Minister Yurek,

On behalf of our member conservation authorities (CAs), I am writing to lend our support for AMO’s May 19th letter to you in which they express concerns about the next steps to be taken with Conservation Authorities.

It is understood and supported that managing COVID-19 related activities is everyone’s immediate priority, and, it is also agreed that moving forward in the transformation of the Conservation Authority and municipal relationship needs to occur in a manageable way.

Conservation Ontario has been surveying the CAs on disruptions and impacts to their delivery of programs and services, as well as, considering how we can support all levels of government in economic stimulus and job recovery during and post-COVID-19. While the impact is variable across the CA community, all have experienced significant revenue reductions, which in some cases has resulted in layoffs of permanent staff and seasonal staff not being hired (including some who support the flood management program), cancellation of programs (many of which are revenue-generating), and, closure of conservation areas. All these impacts have certainly had broader impacts to the local economies across the Province but can be resolved with time, collaboration and support tools. CAs are very keen to support all levels of government in economic recovery and job creation with shovel ready projects.

Conservation Authorities share AMO’s concerns with regard to the impacts of COVID-19 on municipal (and CA) workloads. In particular, we have heard concerns with regard to the potential additional complexity to the CA/municipal budgeting process if there are no clear communication protocols and tools available to facilitate changes that CAs and municipalities will need to implement. Some conservation authorities and municipalities have even gone so far as to suggest that this is not the right time to be creating any new pressures on CA/Municipal budget

processes, particularly in the midst of dealing with impacts from COVID-19 and the need for economic recovery.

The above is one example of challenges that might be experienced in implementing amendments made under the Conservation Authorities Act. As you and your staff move forward with finalizing your analysis of feedback from consultations to date, we ask that the Ministry meet with Conservation Ontario staff and AMO staff jointly to discuss outcomes and approaches to move forward efficiently.

Finally, Conservation Ontario also supports the Province moving forward as expeditiously as possible to finalize the Section 28 regulation consultations being led by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry [i.e. ERO#013-4992: “Focusing conservation authority development permits on the protection of people and property”] as well as updates to the supporting technical guides. Progress in this important business area would be consistent with concerns raised in the MECP Stakeholder Engagement sessions, and with priorities identified in the Made-in-Ontario Environment Plan, and, Ontario’s Flooding Strategy. The Section 28 Regulations are a critical component of Ontario’s approach to reducing risks posed by flooding and other natural hazards and strengthening Ontario’s resiliency to extreme weather events.

Thank you for your consideration in support of all our efforts to continue to serve Ontarians during these challenging times while moving forward on your vision for Conservation Authorities in Ontario. We look forward to continuing to work together in this regard and CO staff are available at your convenience.

Sincerely,

Wayne Emmerson Chair, Conservation Ontario c.c. The Honourable John Yakabuski, Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry The Honourable Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing (MMAH) Jamie McGarvey, President, Association of Municipalities of Ontario CAOs, All Conservation Authorities

Conservation Ontario 120 Bayview Parkway, Newmarket ON L3Y 3W3 Tel: 905.895.0716 Email: [email protected] www.conservationontario.ca

June 5, 2020

The Honourable Laurie Scott Minister of Infrastructure 5th Floor, 777 Bay Street Toronto, Ontario, M7A 2J3

The Honourable John Yakabuski Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry 99 Wellesley Street West, 6th Floor Toronto, Ontario, M7A 1W3

Sent Via Email

RE: Shovel ready Water and Erosion Control Infrastructure (WECI) Projects for Economic Stimulus – Input to Ontario Jobs and Recovery Committee

Dear Minister Scott and Minister Yakabuski,

Conservation Ontario supports that infrastructure improvements are key to Ontario’s economic recovery. Ontario’s conservation authorities appreciate the long-standing partnership with the Province through the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) to operate and maintain water and erosion control infrastructure (e.g. dams, dykes, channels, erosion control structures). This infrastructure protects people and property from flooding impacts, consistent with Ontario’s Flooding Strategy. It is also an important component of building healthy and safe communities.

Maintaining this critical aging public safety infrastructure to avoid costly damages (i.e. estimated annual savings of $150 M in avoided damages) is recognized as a priority by your Government through the Water and Erosion Control Infrastructure (WECI) funding program administered by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. Delivering this program in partnership with the Province of Ontario and with the support of our member municipalities represents a total project investment of $10 million (Provincial contribution is $5 million) into the provincial economy.

Over the past 13 years, conservation authorities across Ontario have identified, on average, 128 studies and repair projects each year and this demand is expected to continue. These shovel

ready studies and repair projects are an investment in jobs and economic activity (e.g. consultants, contractors, materials) and are vital in protecting the people of Ontario from flood and erosion risk.

In fact, the funding program is consistently oversubscribed. For example, the 2020/2021 funding envelope for the program is oversubscribed by almost two-fold with an estimated total project cost of more than $19 million for 102 project submissions from 30 conservation authorities across the Province. Review of these applications has resulted in 59 projects being notified of the $5 million in matching funding.

We feel strongly that, working collaboratively, we could meet and stimulate the full $19 million in demand by maximizing Federal stimulus investments. Ideally, a bilateral economic stimulus program would approve the full $19 million in project activity.

It is our understanding from Federal staff that the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP) Green Stream includes the Adaptation, Resilience and Disaster Mitigation Sub-stream where projects for the purpose of modifying or reinforcing public infrastructure, such as dams, dykes, and, shoreline protection would be considered eligible. As the scope and eligibility of the second intake of Green Stream and for the new COVID-19 funding is developed, your support is requested for Federal/Ontario program design elements to include CA WECI studies and repair projects as eligible. Conservation Ontario staff and CA members of the MNRF Water and Erosion Control Infrastructure Committee would be pleased to work with provincial staff on the elements of the program design to facilitate that the full $19M in economic activity occurs in Ontario in 2020/21 and in the ensuing years. For example, combining the strength of Provincial and Federal investment in water and erosion control would mean that more studies and projects could be completed by providing a greater proportion of total project costs to relieve the burden on municipal budgets. Such investment will mean the difference in whether or not many 2020/21 shovel ready flood and erosion control infrastructure studies and repair projects will occur.

Additionally, it is recommended that in-year funding reallocations be reinstituted for the WECI program as part of a provincial economic stimulus program in response to COVID-19. Funding reallocations between projects within CAs and between CAs has been successfully administered with support of the MNRF WECI Committee in previous funding years. Allowing ‘within year’ reallocation of funds would address the uncertainties that could affect the feasibility or the scope and therefore the costs of some of the approved 2020/2021 projects including:  constraints on local CA and municipal funding due to unforeseen COVID-19 pressures on 2020 budgets;  O.Reg. 82/20 (Closure of Non-Essential Businesses) and potential supply chain disruptions (e.g. materials, consultants, contractors, etc.); and,  Worker safety (e.g. social distancing requirements not being achievable for some repairs in confined spaces). We appreciate the collaborative approach that has been taken with the MNRF WECI funding program to date and the speed with which MNRF has confirmed the WECI fund, a provincial investment of $5 million to support the maintenance of this critical aging infrastructure. As the Minister responsible for the WECI funding program and as members of the Ontario Jobs and Economic Recovery Committee, your consideration of improvements to program design to maximize economic activity associated with WECI studies and repairs is greatly appreciated. This investment in aging public safety infrastructure should be maximized to benefit local communities across the province, and ultimately, Ontario’s economic recovery. On behalf of Conservation Ontario we would be pleased to meet with you and your staff to discuss our interest in the above and how we could work with you to support our mutual objectives.

Sincerely,

Wayne Emmerson Chair, Conservation Ontario c.c.: The Honourable Rod Phillips, Minister of Finance The Honourable Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing The Honourable Jeff Yurek, Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks

Conservation Authorities Setting Challenging Targets and Streamlining Processes to Improve Client Service and Increase the Speed of Approvals

June 23, 2020

Since April 2019, Conservation Ontario has been working with Ontario’s conservation authorities (CAs) to make improvements to CA plan review and permitting activities through the Conservation Ontario Client Service and Streamlining Initiative. The Initiative was created to support actions outlined in the provincial Housing Supply Action plan, and identifies a number of actions to improve client service and accountability, increase speed of approvals and reduce red tape to help the Province address the lack of housing supply, while at the same time not jeopardizing public health and safety or the environment in the process.

CHALLENGING TARGETS SET FOR CA REVIEWS and REGULAR REPORTING TO MEASURE RESULTS

To support timely reporting of CA Section 28 permit application reviews, Conservation Ontario developed a template which outlines a consistent reporting framework for permit review and approval timelines. Consistent with the new “Client Service Standards for Conservation Authority Plan and Permit Review”, the template identifies “best practice” timelines which were developed in response to industry concerns regarding timeliness of CA approvals. FIRST QUARTER PERFORMANCE RESULTS These “best practice” timelines represent a significant st st overall reduction compared to Provincial expectations From January 1 – March 31 , 2020 the described in the Policies and Procedures for Conservation high-growth CAs issued a combined total Authority Plan Review and Permitting (MNRF, 2010), of 1077 permits. The CAs were highly including a 52% reduction in the overall timeline for major successful in issuing permits within the permit applications and 42% for minor permit provincial timelines and the CO best- applications. practice timelines. 12 high-growth CAs issued over 96% of all permits within the Conservation Ontario worked with a group of 14 high- Provincial timelines, and over 92% within growth CAs to prepare reports consistent with the the CO best practice timelines. reporting framework outlining their progress towards meeting the ‘best practice’ timelines for the first quarter of 2020.

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT: PRE-CONSULTATION GUIDANCE DOCUMENT

For permits issued outside of the timelines, CAs identified constraints which contributed to the small percentage of permits not meeting the targeted review times. Many CAs cited the need to increase uptake in pre-consultation processes and improve the quality of submissions to ensure a faster review and approval timeframe.

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To address these constraints and continue to increase the speed of CA approvals, Conservation Ontario is developing a pre-consultation guidance document which outlines best practices for pre-consultation between CAs and their clients. Through a more robust pre-consultation process, CAs can ensure that all necessary information is received from clients to process permit applications in a timely manner with minimal resubmissions.

COMING SOON: ANNUAL REPORTING

Beginning in 2021, the high-growth CAs will post annual reports to their websites on their permit review and approval timelines. In the meantime, Conservation Ontario is committed to working with Ontario’s conservation authorities to improve client service, increase the speed of approvals and reduce red tape, while continuing to protect public health and safety, and, the environment.

For more information: Leslie Rich, Policy and Planning Liaison Conservation Ontario 120 Bayview Parkway, Newmarket ON L3Y 3WE (705) 716-6174 [email protected]

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CORPORATION OF THE TOWN OF RENFREW

RESOLUTION NO. 2020 - 06 - 44

Moved By: Reeve Emon Seconded By: Councillor Jamieson

WHEREAS the COVID-19 pandemic crisis has had a catastrophic affect on employment and small business survival rates, with over 11.3% jobless rate in Ontario in April 2020 alone with only a few signs of a change over the next several fiscal periods;

AND WHEREAS the Renfrew County region is already at a distinct economic disadvantage due to a shorter infrastructure construction season and the lack of essential services, like effective and available broadband across its vast and rural area that would allow for greater flexibility to work from home, or telecommute;

AND WHEREAS the County of Renfrew and the other 19 municipalities and first nations reserves within the geographical borders have an incredible influence on the economy through investments in infrastructure spending, with over $70million being invested in 2020 in municipal projects, but will now have to evaluate and adjust the way they safely operate and offer community services and modes of transportation;

AND WHEREAS the County of Renfrew and the other 19 municipalities and first nations reserves have submitted over $73.5 million worth of applications to the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program: Community, Culture and Recreation Stream, with all considered shovel ready and shovel worthy;

AND WHEREAS the County of Renfrew and the other 19 municipalities and first nations reserves have submitted previously over $25million in the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program: Green Stream and Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program: Rural & Northern Stream;

AND WHEREAS both large and small infrastructure projects have the immediate effect on local small and medium businesses in our region with consideration of the multiplier ratio on every $1million invested having the ability to create 7.6 jobs in the local marketplace, meaning that approval of these projects would create over 1,200 jobs across Renfrew County;

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Council of the Town of Renfrew calls upon the Governments of Ontario and Canada to fast track the review of current and previous Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program grant applications in order to provide much needed employment and investment into rural Ontario to provide sustainable infrastructure that will be safe and suitable in a post-pandemic setting;

AND FURTHER THAT a copy of this resolution be circulated to the Right Honourable Prime Minister of Canada; the Honourable Premier of Ontario; MP Cheryl Gallant, Renfrew-Nipissing- Pembroke; the Honourable John Yakabuski, MPP Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke; the Minister of Infrastructure; the Association of Municipalities Ontario; Rural Ontario Municipalities Association and all Municipalities within the Province of Ontario.

- CARRIED -

I, Jennifer Charkavi, Deputy Clerk of the Corporation of the Town of Renfrew, do hereby certify this to be a true and complete copy of Resolution No. 2020 - 06 - 44, passed by the Council of the Corporation of the Town of Renfrew at its meeting held the 23rd day of June 2020.

DATED at Renfrew, Ontario Jennifer Charkavi this 24th day of June 2020. Jennifer Charkavi

June 26, 2020

The Honourable John Yakabuski Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry Room 6630, 6th Floor, Whitney Black 99 Wellesley Street West Toronto, ON, M7A 1W3

Re: Update on Conservation Ontario’s Client Service and Streamlining Initiative – Reporting on the Timeliness of Section 28 Reviews

Dear Minister Yakabuski:

Conservation Ontario is the network of Ontario’s 36 Conservation Authorities (CAs). In April, 2019 I wrote to you to advise of Conservation Ontario’s new Client Service and Streamlining Initiative. The initiative was created to support actions outlined in the provincial Housing Supply Action Plan, and identifies a number of actions to improve client service and accountability, increase speed of approvals and reduce red tape and regulatory burden. This initiative is intended to help the Province address the lack of housing supply, while at the same time not jeopardizing public health and safety or the environment in the process.

A great deal of progress has been made through this initiative, including the training of over 300 staff in client-centric approaches, the creation of 5 template guidelines for CAs and the establishment of a client-centric checklist for CAs in high-growth areas. Further information on our progress can be found on our website. Today, however, I want to highlight the results of our first quarter reporting on the timeliness of our CA Section 28 permit application reviews. In June, 2019 Conservation Ontario set new, challenging targets to improve client service and increase the speed of approvals. Through the Conservation Ontario Client Service Standards for Conservation Authority Plan and Permit Review (2019) guideline, best practice timelines were developed in response to industry concerns regarding timeliness of CA approvals. These best practice timelines represent a significant overall reduction compared to the expectations described in the Policies and Procedures for Conservation Authority Plan Review and Permitting (MNRF, 2010), including a 52% reduction in the overall timeline for major permit applications and 42% for minor permit applications.

I am pleased to report that the high-growth CAs were highly successful in issuing permits within the Provincial timelines and the Conservation Ontario best-practice timelines. From January 1st – March 31st, 2020 the high-growth CAs issued a combined total of 1077 permissions. During that same period, 12 of the 14 high-growth CAs issued over 96% of all permits within the Provincial timelines, and over 92% within the Conservation Ontario best practice timelines. Now, more than ever, we recognize the

importance of providing superior client service and timely approvals as the Province commences economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The attached bulletin provides additional background information on the Client Service Initiative as well as conservation authorities’ first quarter performance results. This bulletin is being shared widely with our industry partners, including the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, the Ontario Homebuilders Association, the Residential Construction Council of Ontario and the Building Industry and Land Development Association.

In summary, Conservation Ontario has remained actively engaged with our clients and is committed to process improvements in service delivery. Conservation authorities are collectively committed to working in collaboration with our member municipalities, as well as relevant stakeholders in the building and development industry to support the Province’s objective to increase housing supply, while protecting public health and safety, and, the environment.

Should there be any questions or the need for additional information, please contact Kim Gavine, General Manager of Conservation Ontario, at 905-251-3268 or [email protected] .

Sincerely,

Wayne Emmerson Chair, Conservation Ontario

ATTACH: Bulletin: Conservation Authorities Setting Challenging Targets and Streamlining Processes to Improve Client Service and Increase the Speed of Approvals c.c. The Honourable Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing (MMAH) The Honourable Jeff Yurek, Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) All CA General Managers/Chief Administrative Officers

June 26, 2020

The Honourable Doug Ford Premier of Ontario Room 281, Legislative Building Queen’s Park Toronto ON M7A 1A1

Re: Update on Conservation Ontario’s Client Service and Streamlining Initiative – Reporting on the Timeliness of Section 28 Reviews

Dear Premier Ford:

The attached bulletin provides additional background information on the Client Service Initiative as well as conservation authorities’ first quarter performance results. This information has also been shared with Minister Yakabuski, as the lead Minister for Section 28 approvals under the Conservation Authorities Act and carbon copied to Minister Clark and Minister Yurek. We are also very pleased to share this bulletin with our industry partners involved in the Conservation Ontario Client Service and Streamlining Initiative, including the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, the Ontario Homebuilders Association, the Residential Construction Council of Ontario and the Building Industry and Land Development Association.

Should there be any questions or the need for additional information, please contact Kim Gavine, General Manager of Conservation Ontario, at 905-251-3268 or [email protected] .

Sincerely,

Wayne Emmerson Chair, Conservation Ontario

ATTACH: Bulletin: Conservation Authorities Setting Challenging Targets and Streamlining Processes to Improve Client Service and Increase the Speed of Approvals c.c. All CA General Managers/Chief Administrative Officers

From: Minister, MECP (MECP) Sent: July 10, 2020 5:59 PM Subject: Letter from the Honourable Jeff Yurek, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks regarding Environmental Assessment modernization

Hello,

I am writing to inform you about the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks next steps in our government’s Made-in-Ontario Environment Plan commitment to build an environmental assessment (EA) program that ensures strong environmental oversight and a strong economy.

The current process for environmental assessments is slow and ineffective. It can take up to six years for some projects, slowing down important infrastructure projects that help Ontario communities, such as installing electricity infrastructure. Even projects subject to a streamlined process, such as new roads and bridges, can be further delayed by administrative burden, impacting the timely construction of basic infrastructure.

That’s why, last year our government released a discussion paper (https://prod- environmental-registry.s3.amazonaws.com/2019- 04/EA%20Discussion%20Paper.pdf) outlining the challenges with our current framework and introducing our vision for a modernized EA program, as the first step in our plan to update the nearly 50-year-old Environmental Assessment Act (EAA).

As we committed in our Made-in-Ontario Environment Plan, we want to improve the environmental assessment program by eliminating duplication and reducing delays on projects that matter most to Ontario communities. To start, we amended the EAA through the More Homes, More Choice Act, 2019 to exempt low-impact projects, such as constructing roadside parks and adding bike lanes from requiring an environmental assessment. Projects like these are routine activities that have benefits to communities but little to no environmental impacts.

As part of our government’s proposed COVID-19 Economic Recovery Act, we are now proposing to move forward with the next phase of environmental assessment modernization, to further reduce delays and focus our resources on projects with a higher potential for environmental impacts so that we can help communities get important infrastructure projects built faster, while maintaining strong environmental oversight. Building infrastructure projects faster, including transit and highways, will help boost Ontario's economic recovery, create thousands of jobs, put more opportunities within the reach of businesses, create more affordable housing, and ensure a higher standard of living in every community across the province.

The proposal includes the items outlined below:

Proposed amendments to the Environmental Assessment Act (EAA)

Through the COVID-19 Economic Recovery Act, our government has proposed amendments to the EAA, which allow us to move forward with our next phase of our modernization plans, while at the same time supporting the government economic recovery goals by making it possible for us to find efficiencies in the environmental assessment process of important public works.

The legislation would allow us, through subsequent regulations and proclamations, to allow online submissions, reduce the average time by half for the largest projects and match the potential environmental impact of a project to the level of study required.

The proposed changes are aimed at getting important infrastructure projects built faster, while maintaining strong environmental oversight byfocusing on projects that have the most potential to impact the environment.

We posted an information notice on the environmental registry to provide information about the proposed legislative changes to the EAA that will be proceeding through the legislative process. Please refer to https://ero.ontario.ca/notice/019-2051 for more information.

Amendments to Class Environmental Assessments (Class EAs)

My ministry is also seeking input on proposed amendments to 8 Class EAs. These proposed changes would support our modernization initiative as they would exempt low-impact projects from the requirements of the Environmental Assessment Act, eliminate duplication and find efficiencies in the planning process. This would speed up projects that are important to communities, such as erosion, repair, or remediation initiatives, or important upgrades to machinery such as waterpower generators.

My ministry is seeking input on these proposed amendments during a 45-day comment period, closing on August 22, 2020. Details of this proposal may be found at https://ero.ontario.ca/notice/019-1712.

Exempting Regulations

In addition, my ministry is also proposing regulatory exemptions from the Environmental Assessment Act to eliminate duplication and reduce delays for projects and activities related to Indigenous land claim settlements and other agreements with Indigenous communities dealing with land, projects within provincial parks and conservation reserves, and select highway projects being planned by the Ministry of Transportation. Some of these projects and activities are already subject to other legislation or planning processes that would provide the appropriate level of assessment and consultation. Other projects may be exempted from the EAA, but would still be subject to conditions such as requirements to post notifications or undertake technical studies as appropriate.

My ministry is seeking input on these proposed amendments during a 45-day comment period, closing on August 22, 2020.

For details of the proposal regarding land claim settlement activities and other agreements with Indigenous communities dealing with land, please refer to https://ero.ontario.ca/notice/019-1805.

For details of the proposal regarding projects in provincial parks and conservation reserves please refer to https://ero.ontario.ca/notice/019-1804.

For details of the proposals for select Ministry of Transportation projects, please refer to https://ero.ontario.ca/notice/019-1882 and https://ero.ontario.ca/notice/019-1883.

Information about the proposed Class EA amendments can be found on the environmental registry. We ask that you submit any comments that you may have through the instructions provided, and by the deadlines listed above.

Should you have questions about any of the proposals, you can contact us at [email protected].

We look forward to your suggestions and comments on our modernization initiatives.

Sincerely,

Jeff Yurek Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks Water experts call on province to extend source water protection | Hanover Post Page 1 of 4

Water experts call on province to AGENDA extend source water protection Scott Dunn More from Scott Dunn (https://www.thepost.on.ca/author/sdunn)

Published on: June 2, 2020 | Last Updated: June 2, 2020 10:15 PM EDT

The Walkerton Clean Water Centre was opened in 2004 in Walkerton. Its mission is to ensure clean and safe drinking for the province by providing education and training. DEREK RUTTAN / POSTMEDIA NETWORK

Walkerton’s water disaster 20 years ago prompted a transformation of Ontario’s drinking water systems, but the reforms have not protected everyone equally.

The roughly 20 per cent of people in the province on private wells generally remain vulnerable because source water protection plans for municipal and other systems were never required for small, private wells under the Clean Water Act of 2006. E. coli in manure got into a Walkerton well from a nearby farm in May 2000, contaminated town water and overwhelmed the disinfection process, ultimately killing seven people and sickening 3,000 others who drank the tap water. Source water protection includes restrictions on pollution-causing activities in buffer areas around drinking water sources. It is the first line of defence of the multi-barrier approach to clean drinking water, which also encompasses water treatment, inspection, testing and safe distribution. Some communities in Grey-Bruce have no municipal water systems and so still aren’t protected by source water protection plans, including Elmwood, Paisley, Flesherton, Williamsford, Kilsyth and Hepworth. Most individuals on wells are not covered either. https://www.thepost.on.ca/news/local-news/water-experts-call-on-province-to-extend-sour... 7/28/2020 Water experts call on province to extend source water protection | Hanover Post Page 2 of 4

“Our source protection committee is supportive of those types of expansions of the Clean Water Act” to extend source water protection, said Carl Seider, the project manager for source water protection for the Grey-Bruce committee. He estimated about 40,000 out of roughly 160,000 Grey-Bruce residents are not covered by source water protection plans.

But Seider also said the committee doesn’t want costs associated with altering practices that generate bacterial, chemical or other pollutants that may threaten drinking water to be borne by local farmers or other landowners.

In December, the province rejected the Canadian Environmental Law Association Environmental Bill of Rights application to amend and extend the Clean Water Act to include more water systems in source water protection plans. A hope to rebut this decision with

the environment ministry in a meeting has been scotched for now, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Richard Lindgren, a lawyer with the CELA, represented the Concerned Walkerton Citizens group during the inquiry into how E. coli contaminated the town’s drinking water. He filed the recent application.

“We don’t intend to take no for an answer. This is a serious matter and we quite frankly don’t understand the ministry’s intransigence,” Lindgren said.

“What we need to do is prioritize the towns and villages which are not on a municipal water system but require protection of groundwater or surface water,” he said. “And the irony is the Clean Water Act itself already provides for that.”

Municipalities could voluntarily nominate non-municipal systems to be included within source protection plans under the 2006 act. But an environment ministry directive required the focus on all municipal water systems first, with others to follow in due course, he said. “Now is the time to start extending source water protection requirements to some of these other non-municipal water systems,” Lindgren said. He noted a 2014 auditor’s report found about 30 per cent of private wells tested contained bacteria including E. coli. If municipal drinking water standards applied, those wells would be condemned. Some private wells are covered by source water protection plans if they happen to fall within the buffer areas around municipal and other water systems covered under the Clean Water Act. https://www.thepost.on.ca/news/local-news/water-experts-call-on-province-to-extend-sour... 7/28/2020 Water experts call on province to extend source water protection | Hanover Post Page 3 of 4

And manure-spreading setbacks and free well water tests, under other provincial legislation, offer some measure of reassurance to private well users, said Seider. Also there are hundreds of local restaurants, churches and other places on private wells that provide drinking water to the public. They are overseen by the local public health unit and must meet the same bacteriological standards as municipal systems, but not the more complex chemical ones, public health manager Andrew Barton said.

The source water protection committee covers the watersheds of the Saugeen Valley and Grey Sauble conservation authorities and areas the conservation authorities don’t cover on the Bruce Peninsula. In December, Ontario Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk reported “significant risks remain” for drinking water sources for private wells and Indigenous communities, in areas beyond conservation authority jurisdiction. She found 22 First Nation communities are subject to long-term drinking water advisories due to treatment plant and distribution system issues. Her concerns echoed concerns raised in past auditor’s reports.

Lindgren agrees First Nations should have source water protection and need more water operator training, as well as ongoing infrastructure improvements. But there is good news about training and infrastructure at least. Three years ago the Walkerton Clean Water Centre expanded its mandate to train First Nations water operators, using First Nations-specific approaches.

Established in 2004, four years after the Walkerton disaster, the centre has so far trained 93,000 people, mostly water operators, in Ontario. More than 100 First Nations operators in Ontario have been certified to the stringent Ontario Safe Drinking Water Act standard so far.

Justice Dennis O’Connor’s report on the Walkerton disaster addressed the need to tackle the water problems on First Nations.

So Walkerton’s tragedy “had a direct positive result in the most vulnerable communities in this entire province being served correctly, and those are the First Nations,” centre CEO Carl Kuhnke said.

https://www.thepost.on.ca/news/local-news/water-experts-call-on-province-to-extend-sour... 7/28/2020 Water experts call on province to extend source water protection | Hanover Post Page 4 of 4

First Nations water infrastructure is becoming less of a problem since the federal government began spending millions on water plants, said Kuhnke and other drinking water experts interviewed. It’s often the training that’s lacking, he said.

“We’re so good at what we do, the federal government is very interested in having the Walkerton Clean Water Centre actually do it for the whole country.” He said negotiations to do that would begin in the coming months.

Ontario chipped in an extra $2 million over three years for a First Nations project fund – though it’s really a federal responsibility, Kuhnke noted. He intends to ask for more and feels optimistic he’ll get it.

“There’s 134 First Nations in Ontario. Twenty of them are probably in good shape . . . a hundred need help and 15 are desperate.”

He has trained operators on about 40 reserves so far and over the next couple of years all would be reached, if the funding partnership continues. It involves the Ontario and the Northern Chief’s Council and the federally funded Ontario First Nations Technical Services Corporation.

There’s one more threat to drinking water that needs to be tackled, Kuhnke said.

“We fixed the drinking water issue with regulation and source water protection etc. in this province in 2001. We still haven’t done a bloody thing about waste water.”

In recent months it was reported that a stuck valve allowed an estimated 24 billion litres of sewage and storm water to pour into Chedoke Creek over a four- year period in Hamilton, ending in the summer of 2018. Chedoke Creek is the source water for a number of smaller municipalities around Hamilton.

It’s time “for the province to do for waste water what they did for drinking water 15 to 20 years ago,” Kuhnke said.

Editor’s note: This is the fourth in a four-part series of stories looking at the Walkerton water crisis of 20 years ago.

https://www.thepost.on.ca/news/local-news/water-experts-call-on-province-to-extend-sour... Walkerton Herald Times, June 4, 2020 Shoreline Beacon, June 9, 2020 Mildmay Town Crier, June 11, 2020 Councillors put brakes on one-way traffic for North Shore Road | Shoreline Beacon Times Page 1 of 4 Councillors put brakes on one-way traffic for North Shore Road

Frances Learment More from Frances Learment (https://www.shorelinebeacon.com/author/flearment)

Published on: June 23, 2020 | Last Updated: June 26, 2020 5:19 PM EDT

Saugeen Shores council rejected a temporary summer to change one North Shore Road traffic lane into a trail for pedestrians and cyclists, from McVicar Street to Hilly Lane. FRANCES LEARMENT

One lane of North Shore Road will not be temporarily closed and converted to active transportation space for walkers/cyclists after a two-thirds ‘No’ vote by Saugeen Shores councillors meeting virtually June 22.

A rough Lake Huron winter eroded sections of the North Shore Trail that runs adjacent to North Shore Road from Port Elgin to Southampton, and forced the town to close and barricade damaged sections for safety.

Town staff’s temporary fix was to close one lane of North Shore Rd., from McVicar St. to Hilly Lane, to allow use by walkers/cyclists.

That plan was rejected in a 6-3 recorded vote with the majority of councillors unwilling to inconvenience affected property owners. That means back to the drawing board for town staff, according to Mayor Luke Charbonneau, who voted “No”, and is confident a share-the-road option would allow accommodation for pedestrians/cyclists and two-way traffic. on North Shore Rd.

“This (No vote) doesn’t mean we’re not going to anything. We need to have ability for folks to ride bikes and walk down there, as well as drive cars in both directions and we need to make sure that can be done safely… like is done on many roads in Saugeen Shores…” Charbonneau said in a telephone interview after the meeting https://www.shorelinebeacon.com/news/local-news/councillors-put-brakes-on-one-way-tra... Councillors put brakes on one-way traffic for North Shore Road | Shoreline Beacon Times Page 2 of 4

In her report to councillors, Jayne Jagelewski, the town’s director community services, said a shared road solution, in which the road remains two-way, does not provide a safe opportunity for active users, like young families with kids on bikes and older adults.

A public survey used by staff to form a recommendation had approximately 1,500 responses.

Thirty-seven percent wanted a two-way street with pedestrians and cyclists using the roads; 52 percent favoured a temporary one-way street with a dedicated trail for the summer; 11 per cent voted to close the trail; of the 14 percent of respondents on affected roads, 43 per cent favoured the one-way option; 43 percent wanted a two-way road; and nine percent recommended closing the trail.

During debate on staff’s recommendation, Coun. Cheryl Grace said her support for the one-way plan was based on protecting public safety and town liability.

Citing numerous court rulings with accident judgements against municipalities, Grace said lawsuit liability can be defeated by showing a municipality took reasonable steps to prevent it, which the temporary one-way option does.

“The town is aware of unsafe conditions along the trail. The town has openly placed barriers and bollards to deter and prevent public access to damaged areas…” Grace said, adding staff, police and fire officials believe a one-way solution is the best and safest option for continued use of the road and trail by all.

Grace also asked staff to increase signage and barriers along the trail.

Coun. John Rich voted “Yes”, but asked staff for assurance that long-term options for repair are developed as there he’d heard some community “fear” that the temporary solution would become permanent each summer.

Rich suggested the bike trail could be rerouted behind Hilly Lane homes, and suggested that a Community Safety Zone, with increased traffic infraction fines. He said there is a significant public safety risk, noting the manager of a Southampton restaurant was injured when his bike was hit by a van recently on North Shore Rd. Coun. Dave Myette said he was “adamantly against” the one-way option, either temporary or permanent, and said that without exception everyone he talked with rejected the one- way plan that would have “significantly negatively affected” many people.

Speaking from experience – his road was closed for 1.5 years resulting in a long detour to get to town – Myette said users are already sharing the road.

https://www.shorelinebeacon.com/news/local-news/councillors-put-brakes-on-one-way-tra... Councillors put brakes on one-way traffic for North Shore Road | Shoreline Beacon Times Page 3 of 4

“The serious bikers – the Tour de France bikers – they ride on the road anyway, they don’t ride on the trail… and generally speaking, motorists on that road are used to seeing cyclists on that road and the common courtesy rules apply…” Myette said, suggesting the town investigate traffic calming measures on North Shore Rd. including speed bumps or chicanes. Coun. Kristan Shrider, a self-confessed “recreation-mined” person, questioned the public survey that found 57 percent of the directly affected residents opposed by the plan. “I think this would be a safe alternative, I’m not just sure it would be the best alternative,” Shrider said, adding she wanted to see more options. A “Yes” vote from Deputy Mayor Don Matheson was bolstered by a recent conversation with visitors from Guelph who said they cycle in this area every weekend because of the extensive trail system. “Saugeen Shores is an active transportation town. That means not just motor vehicles, but walking, riding, biking, cars, (and) everything,” Matheson said, noting the twn wants a Silver designation as a Bicycle Friendly Community and that means adding new trails and facilities.

Matheson called active transportation “economic bait” and said COVID-19 recovery requires tourists. Town staff reported that 15,000 people used North Shore Trail last August.

Matheson called for a “huge public news release” providing cyclists and motorists with share the road education because cyclists say they don’t like to ride on area roads because drivers don’t respect them.

“(Drivers) will go around an animal before they’d go around a cyclist. They don’t give cyclists the due space that is required,” Matheson said, stressing that the one-way option is a two-month short-term safe option. Voting “No”, Coun. Jamie Smith said she “struggled” with only the ‘Yes’ No’ option from staff, and said she did not find the survey results that staff relied on “compelling, one way or another other” and while not “misleading” they were balanced and not decisive.

Smith said to stop unsafe trail use in the short-term; the town needs additional signs or barriers for people who routinely ignore the closures. Smith’s comment that it is not within the town’s prevue to enforce closure bylaws led to Mayor Charbonneau to say yes, it is.

https://www.shorelinebeacon.com/news/local-news/councillors-put-brakes-on-one-way-tra... Councillors put brakes on one-way traffic for North Shore Road | Shoreline Beacon Times Page 4 of 4

“We have bylaw enforcement and police and we can (enforce closure), and we probably ought to.”

Coun. Matt Carr said he travels the well-used North Shore Rd. and 10 th Concession several times daily, and he echoed concerns raised by his council colleagues, particularly it being a temporary measure until Labour Day.

Carr also suggested single-lane use near Hilly Lane would not be safe for motorists, cyclists or pedestrians.

“There’s no room for a turn-around. So, all of a sudden you’re going to ask people to back out into traffic – a perfect example of a biker to get hit,” Carr said.

To Carr’s suggestion of filling some holes along the trail edge, Amanda Froese, the town’s director infrastructure and development said the Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority had rejected her first permit application to being trail repairs, and she is now consulting with Goderich officials who recently spent $1.2 million to replace one mile of washed out beach.

“It is not going to be a cheap project to get these trails back up. Like, it’s millions of dollars, not tens of thousands for the long-term fix,” Froese said, adding the town is also talking with other shoreline conservation authorities to develop a long-term plan.

Vice Deputy Mayor Mike Myatt voted against the one-way option and implored road users to “For Pete’s sake, slow down,” as the town rebuilds lost respect for cyclists since the trail opened 11 years ago. Mayor Charbonneau softened his “No” vote by encouraging staff to continue to offer out-of-the box creative ideas for municipal issues, but said this fix is “very expensive” for the town, and would require budget approval next year.

Charbonneau North Shore Trail will not likely be fully open next summer, so they need a more permanent solution. “A solution to Sept. 7 doesn’t cut it. You know, we need something that’s going to be permanent because this could go on for a while…” he said, noting the project will be tough to fund along with an estimated $8 million for the Lamont Sports Park, a proposed YMCA recreation centre, and critical infrastructure projects.

https://www.shorelinebeacon.com/news/local-news/councillors-put-brakes-on-one-way-tra... Conservation authority breathes sigh of relief . . . for now | North Bay Nugget Page 1 of 3

Conservation authority breathes sigh of relief . . . for now Provincial review on hold over COVID-19

PJ Wilson More from PJ Wilson (https://www.nugget.ca/author/pwilson)

Published on: July 1, 2020 | Last Updated: July 1, 2020 8:47 AM EDT

Environment, Conservation and Parks Minister Jeff Yurek identified Laurentian Ski Hill last year as an example of a conservation authority operating outside of its mandate. Nugget File Photo

Conservation authorities in Northern Ontario face different problems from those in more populated areas of the province. So while some in southern Ontario can operate facilities like Black Creek Pioneer Village just outside Toronto, Northern Ontario authorities have to find other ways to bring in cash to help fund activities.

And it’s one of those activities that, last year, raised the ire of the provincial minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.

https://www.nugget.ca/news/local-news/conservation-authority-breathes-sigh-of-relief-for-... 7/13/2020 Conservation authority breathes sigh of relief . . . for now | North Bay Nugget Page 2 of 3

The North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority owns the Laurentian Ski Hill’s land, which is leased to the private board that operates the ski hill.

“Having those lands means conservation authorities can generate revenue so they don’t have to increase the burden on member municipalities,” says Sue Buckle, manager of communications and outreach at the conservation authority.

Last August, the ministry called on conservation authorities to “wind down” activities Minister Jeff Yurek said were outside their

mandate, a request that has been fought by the local conservation authority. In a news release, Brian Tayler, CAO of the local conservation authority, said those non-mandatory programs are not funded by the province, which provides less than 15 per cent of the conservation authority’s total funding.

In 2019, the ministry cut in half the amount it provides for the natural hazard and flooding program.

In a submission to the province earlier this year, the local conservation authority said it “must be able to charge fees and derive revenue” from facilities, programs and services “as appropriate to reduce the burden to the tax levy.

“Many popular and revenue-generating activities such as local festivals, recreational activities or using conservation areas as wedding venues are not only self-sustaining, but also provide a profit which can be redirected to support mandatory programs and services such as natural hazards.”

The submission points out that Laurentian Ski Hill “is acknowledged as an asset to the region for economic development, physical/social health and well-being and recreational tourism.”

The ski hill, the conservation authority says, generates $5 million in economic activity across the region, employing about 80 staff.

Gary Wheeler, a spokesman for the ministry, said the review “will clarify the core mandate of conservation authorities and update how they use municipal levies and fees to pay for programs and services.” Some stakeholders, such as the Ontario Home Builders Association, believe prescribing authorities’ duties will mean a more efficient and clarified system.

https://www.nugget.ca/news/local-news/conservation-authority-breathes-sigh-of-relief-for-... 7/13/2020 Conservation authority breathes sigh of relief . . . for now | North Bay Nugget Page 3 of 3

Michael Collins Williams, director of policy for the OHBA, believes there is “jurisdictional creep and overlap” between conservation authorities and municipalities, as well as minimal timelines and accountability for conservation authorities.

The OHBA believes that conservation authorities’ role should be, “clearly articulated to be scoped to hazards and flood protection.”

Some fear if the authorities are not allowed to run revenue-earning programs and are micromanaged, they will be unable to carry out their work. Kim Gavine, general manager of Conservation Ontario, worries if the mandate is too prescriptive “the risk is that it will restrict conservation authorities” since each authority problem-solves issues unique to its watershed.

Buckle also points out that the local conservation authority does not charge admission fees to conservation areas. It operates a number of conservation areas across the district, ensuring the conservation and restoration of natural ecosystems, biodiversity and ecologically important lands.

The conservation authority’s submission was made as part of a series of stakeholder consultations in five communities early this year. One was held in North Bay, shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Buckle says the consultations were part of a review of the Conservation Authority Act.

The consultations asked which programs and services should be mandatory, which should be non-mandatory, what works well with the existing conservation authority model, how the current model can be improved, how to improve consistency, transparency and efficiency and how oversight can be improved. Since that consultation process, though, things have “been put on hold” because of COVID-19.

With files from Postmedia

On the web: ontario.ca/page/consultation-ontario-conservation-authorities (http://ontario.ca/page/consultation-ontario-conservation-authorities)

https://www.nugget.ca/news/local-news/conservation-authority-breathes-sigh-of-relief-for-... West Grey Access Closed To Middle Durham Dam News Centre

Friday, July 10, 2020 Access Closed To Middle Durham Dam West Grey | by Bayshore News Staff

Saugeen Conservation Authority makes move over safety concerns.

The Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority says access across the Middle Durham Dam is closed over public safety concerns.

In a release, Saugeen Conservation advises it has become apparent that individuals gaining access to the Middle Durham Dam have put themselves and others at risk by not adhering to safety guidelines.

"While we certainly appreciate that people are eager to get out and enjoy the summer months, we cannot condone unsafe behaviour that could result in personal injury", says Jo-Anne Harbinson, Manager of Water Resources and Stewardship Services for Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority. "Beyond acting recklessly and dangerously, there is also the potential impact on emergency services."

The Middle Durham Dam is located in the Durham (supplied photo) Conservation Area in West Grey.

Visitors are being asked to respect fencing that has been installed along the top of the dam.

"Anyone caught in the fenced area or jumping from the dam structure may be charged with trespassing," Saugeen Conservation warns.

Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority is working closely with the Municipality of West Grey and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry to ensure measures are put in place to safeguard from potential hazards. https://www.bayshorebroadcasting.ca/news_item.php?NewsID=117277 BlackburnNews.com - SVCA closes public access to Middle Durham Dam

https://blackburnnews.com/midwestern-ontario/2020/07/10/svca-closes-public-access-mid... AGENDA

1078 Bruce Road 12, P.O. Box 150, Formosa ON Canada N0G 1W0 Tel 519-367-3040, Fax 519-367-3041, [email protected], www.svca.on.ca

TO: Chair and Authority Members

FROM: Jennifer Stephens, General Manager/Secretary-Treasurer

DATE: July 29, 2020

SUBJECT: Proposal to develop Strategic Action Plan

PURPOSE: To acquire support for the approach to prepare an updated strategic plan for the SVCA

RECOMMENDATION: THAT staff be directed to pursue the development of a new Strategic Action Plan for 2021-2025 in accordance with the proposed outreach schedule.

BACKGROUND Working with the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Association of Conservation Authorities of Ontario (now Conservation Ontario), Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority (SVCA) completed a Strategic Plan that was to be in effect between 1995 and 2000. At the Meeting of the Board of Directors on October 7, 2004, a desire to formulate a business plan to assist in the preparation of annual budgets was formulated. The decision to prepare this business plan was also guided by the mounting concern regarding the ability of the conservation authority to obtain municipal financial support. The business plan was in place between 2005 and 2010. More recently, the Board of Directors identified the need for an updated strategic plan during their meetings which took place in 2008.

Working with a consultant, the SVCA established a renewed strategic plan in July 2010 that was to come into effect in January 2011 and continue through 2016. With recent changes to the Conservation Authorities Act, 2019, it is opportune to review previous strategic actions for the SVCA and evaluate their success, while considering the future direction of the conservation authority.

Further, preparing a strategic plan while also preparing the budget for the 2021 calendar year will allow the Board of Directors and senior staff to determine priorities for the conservation authority.

ANALYSIS The strategic planning process allows an organization the opportunity to document and establish its direction. Through this exercise, an organization can assess its current situation, but also where it intends to be in the future. It is expected that this strategic plan will align with the annual report prepared by the conservation authority to identify successes and the degree to which targets were

A short summary of the proposed timeline for the development of the refreshed strategic plan, as well as the necessary steps to allow for stakeholder-based input follows below: Hold virtual and where appropriate, in person sessions with staff and August 2020 Authority Members to discuss existing Vision and Mission Statements, as well as previous SVCA strategic priorities. Hold a virtual forum on the status of programs at SVCA with the September 2020 Board of Directors. This session will also set the foundation for discussions pertaining to the 2021 budget. Hold virtual sessions with each of SVCA’s municipalities to gain feedback on how the conservation authority can meet the needs of the community over a five-year period ranging from 2021-2025. Gather input from municipal staff and government representatives on strategic priorities for SVCA, as well as challenges and October – November opportunities which could improve the relationships with our 2020 municipal partners.

Hold a series of virtual public forums to allow watershed residents with the opportunity to provide feedback on SVCA’s activities and input on our vision for the future. Board of Directors Meeting: Review feedback from municipal December 3, 2020 stakeholders and the public, determine strategic priorities and actions, and an annual monitoring program. Follow up with municipalities and the public on draft strategic action January 2021 plan. Virtual and in-person open houses expected. Annual General Meeting – Endorsement of the strategic action plan Late February 2021 for adoption by the Board of Directors.

COMMUNICATIONS PLAN Communication will be integral to the development of the strategic plan. It will be necessary to use print and on-line media to reach out to the public. Working with our municipalities it will be possible to prepare a social media calendar with posts developed by SVCA which could be shared and re- posted through municipal social media accounts. Along with the SVCA website, there will be opportunity to deliver hard copy flyers directly through landowners.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS Preparation of the strategic plan will be conducted in-house using staff resources. It is expected that all costs for the completion of the Strategic Plan will be associated with the implementation of a Communications Plan able to reach a vast majority of stakeholders and watershed residents.

Approved By:

Jennifer Stephens, General Manager/Secretary-Treasurer

AGENDA

1078 Bruce Road 12, P.O. Box 150, Formosa ON Canada N0G 1W0 Tel 519-367-3040, Fax 519-367-3041, [email protected], www.svca.on.ca

TO: Chair and Authority Members

FROM: Erik Downing, Manager – Environmental Planning and Regulations

DATE: July 29, 2020

SUBJECT: Environmental Planning and Regulations Department Update

PURPOSE: To advise of the status of plans to update and create tools to support the Environmental Planning and Regulations Department

RECOMMENDATION: THAT staff be directed to implement the actions outlined in this report; AND FURTHER THAT a progress report be provided to the Authority at their November 2020 meeting.

BACKGROUND Over the past several years considerable effort has been made to support the efforts of the Environmental Planning and Regulations Department (EPRD). In May 2017, Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority implemented the Environmental Planning and Regulations Policies Manual. This manual was later amended in October 2018. A Communications Plan for the EPRD was brought before the Authority in 2019 suggesting opportunities to enhance the understanding of the work done by this Department. This Communications Plan has only been partially implemented. Further, a software application has been developed that will make processing paperwork received by the EPRD more effective.

ANALYSIS Currently, several of the resources created for the EPRD require enhancement or have only been partially implemented. To meet the intended use of these resources, staff propose to fully implement the initiatives outlined in Table 1 by the end of the calendar year.

Watershed Member Municipalities Municipality of Arran-Elderslie, Municipality of Brockton, Township of Chatsworth, Municipality of Grey Highlands, Town of Hanover, Township of Howick, Municipality of Morris-Turnberry, Municipality of South Bruce, Township of Huron-Kinloss, Municipality of Kincardine, Town of Minto, Township of Wellington North, Town of Saugeen Shores, Township of Southgate, Municipality of West Grey Table 1: Proposed activities to help municipal representatives and the public understand the EPRD. Initiative Proposed Activities Staff have maintained a marked-up version of the Manual over the past two years. An update to the Manual is Environmental Planning and proposed to address typographical and where necessary, Regulations Policies Manual clarification of the intent of the policies and the content of the policies. There has been considerable feedback on the current state of SVCA Regulations Mapping made available to the public. Staff propose to invest in a ESRI single use license, which will Regulations Mapping allow the GIS Coordinator to create interactive online mapping accessible to the public with a more user friendly interface. A consultant was retained to prepare this application and it was provided to SVCA staff in March 2020. Very limited use Project Tracking Application of the application has transpired over the past several months; however, an action plan has been prepared to finalize the application by late Fall 2020. A flow chart is under development which will be available on Flow Chart with Interactive SVCA’s website. At each stage of the process, a short video Videos will explain what can be expected. A story map is proposed to further inform the public of Preparation of a Story Map SVCA’s responsibilities in a format that will help the reader understand subject matter. Publish at least one social media message per week Social Media Campaign explaining the purpose and activities of the EPRD. Create a series of factsheets to explain the activities of the EPRD, but also link to other program areas (i.e., water management) including: - How to be protected from flooding? - How do we know where the floodplain is? - What is a provincially significant wetland? Factsheets - How is a wetland protected? - How does SVCA monitor water flows in its watersheds? - Why are water control structures necessary? - How do I find out if my property is in a regulated area?

COMMUNICATIONS PLAN Several communication-related activities will be essential to achieving success in being able to alter the perception of the EPRD. To change attitudes, there needs to be an understanding of the subject matter. To achieve this goal, traditional and interactive media, will be used to educate and inform. Preparation of the flow chart, videos, and factsheets, as well as the implementation of a social media campaign, will be able to be completed using existing staff. The preparation of the story map can be completed by staff at Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority (CLOCA). CLOCA staff have expertise in preparing story maps and have been assisting other conservation authorities by creating these interactive and informative tools.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS Many of the activities outlined in Table 1 can be completed using existing staff resources. The new online mapping interface can be acquired by purchasing an ESRI basic single license at a cost of $250.00. The story map can be prepared by CLOCA staff at a cost of $5 K to $7 K. The purchase of the ESRI license would be paid from the budget allocated to Information Technology and GIS, while the cost for the story map would come from the EPRD budget.

Approved By:

Erik Downing, Manager, Environmental Planning and Regulations

Approved By:

Jennifer Stephens, General Manager/Secretary-Treasurer AGENDA

1078 Bruce Road 12, P.O. Box 150, Formosa ON Canada N0G 1W0 Tel 519-367-3040, Fax 519-367-3041, [email protected], www.svca.on.ca

Report to: Chair and Members, Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority

From: Janice Hagan, Administrative Assistant

Date: August 6, 2020

Subject: SVCA Administrative By-laws Amendments Recommendation: THAT the recommended amendments to the SVCA Administrative By-laws be approved; and further

THAT staff continue to review the Administrative By-laws and present any further proposed amendments to the Authority at the next Annual meeting. Background The SVCA’s current Administrative By-laws document was recently amended to include provisions for conducting Authority meetings electronically. Changes were made on April 2, 2020 that allowed meetings to be held remotely when there is a declared State of Emergency affecting the local watershed. Since then, Members have requested to update this allowance to include other instances when an electronic meeting may take place. The Province has advised that a conservation authority may continue to hold electronic meetings in accordance with their individual by-laws provided that the authority continues to follow best practices to meet legislated requirements such as public participation.

While making this change, other amendments were identified and are outlined below. The Administrative By- laws are attached showing tracked changes for the Authority to review.

Recommended Amendments: 1. Section B-2c, General Manager/Secretary-Treasurer The following item was added: “-Serves as an Officer for the Saugeen Valley Conservation Foundation.” This addition was due to the change in the SVCF By-laws, updated July 9, 2020, adding the GM/S-T as an Officer of the Foundation.

2. Section B-8, Appointment of Solicitor The following phrase was added: “…for the coming year...”. Each year the Authority appoints a solicitor by resolution. This phrase adds clarity.

3. Section B-13, Executive Committee Changes clarify that an additional Member is included as an Executive Committee Member with all the rights and privileges, i.e. voting. The additional Member is invited by the Chair prior to the meeting to fully participate.

Reasons to hold a remote meeting may include but not be limited to snowstorms/road closures or when a quorum can not be attained for an in-person meeting. Staff recommends that if an in-person meeting is called by the Chair, then Members that are unable to attend in person are considered absent, and if they do connect electronically, they are not considered part of the quorum count.

A section on Conference calls was added to limit telephone calls to Committee meetings only.

5. Section C-3, Notice of Meeting The sentence, “The Chair may alternately request that the meeting be held remotely.” was added for consistency with Section C-2.

6. Section C-10, Members’ Attendance In the previous SVCA Administration Resolutions, the GM/S-T was directed to advise a municipality if the representative Member had missed 3 meetings in a row, regardless of notification, and if a Member misses 3 meetings without notification, then the Member has considered to have resigned. This directive was not included in the new Administrative By-laws. Staff recommends that both items be re-included as amendments to the current Administrative By-laws.

7. Section C14, Voting The words, “…including Authority, Committee, and ad hoc meetings…” has been added for clarity.

8. Various capitalizations and other grammatical corrections were made.

Approved by:

Janice Hagan, Administrative Assistant

Approved by:

Jennifer Stephens, General Manager/Secretary-Treasurer

Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority

ADMINISTRATIVE

BY-LAWS

OCTOBER 16, 2018 Amended November 11, 2019, April 2, 2020, August 6, 2020

October 16, 2018, amended Nov 11, 2019, April 2, 2020, August 6, 2020 SAUGEEN VALLEY CONSERVATION AUTHORITY Administrative By-Laws

I. Contents I. Background ...... 4 A. Amendments to the Conservation Authorities Act ...... 4 II. Administrative By-Law ...... 7 Introduction ...... 7 Vision/Mission ...... 7 A. Definitions ...... 9 B. Governance ...... 10 1. Members ...... 10 2. Officers ...... 12 3. Absence of Chair and Vice-Chair(s) ...... 13 4. Representatives to Conservation Ontario Council ...... 13 5. Election of Chair and Vice-Chairs ...... 14 6. Appointment of Auditor ...... 14 7. Appointment of Financial Institution ...... 14 8. Appointment of Solicitor ...... 14 9. Financial Statements and Report of the Auditor ...... 14 10. Borrowing Resolution ...... 14 11. Levy Notice ...... 14 12. Signing Officers ...... 14 13. Executive Committee ...... 14 14. Advisory Boards and Other Committees ...... 15 15. Remuneration of Members...... 16 16. Records Retention ...... 16 17. Records Available to Public ...... 17 18. By-law Review ...... 17 19. By-laws Available to Public ...... 17 20. Enforcement of By-laws and Policies ...... 17 21. Indemnification of Members, Officers and Employees ...... 17

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October 16, 2018, amended Nov 11, 2019, April 2, 2020, August 6, 2020 C. Meeting Procedures ...... 18 1. Rules of Procedure ...... 18 2. Electronic Meetings and Conference Calls...... 18 3. Notice of Meeting ...... 19 4. Meetings Open to Public ...... 20 5. Agenda for Meetings ...... 20 6. Quorum ...... 21 7. Order of Business ...... 21 8. Debate ...... 21 9. Matters of Precedence ...... 22 10. Members’ Attendance ...... 22 11. Delegations ...... 23 12. Annual Meeting ...... 23 13. Meetings with Closed “In Camera” Sessions ...... 23 14. Voting ...... 24 15. Notice of Motion ...... 25 16. Motion to Reconsider ...... 25 17. Duties of the Meeting Chair ...... 25 18. Conduct of Members ...... 26 19. Minutes of Meetings ...... 26 D. Appendices to the Administrative By-law ...... 27 Appendix 1 - Code of Conduct ...... 27 Appendix 2 - Conflict of Interest ...... 30 Appendix 3 - Procedure for Election of Officers ...... 32 Appendix 4 – Powers of Authorities ...... 34

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October 16, 2018, amended Nov 11, 2019, April 2, 2020, August 6, 2020 I. Background A. Amendments to the Conservation Authorities Act The Conservation Authorities Act, as amended by the Building Better Communities and Conserving Watersheds Act, 2017, and again in 2019, provides direction for conservation authorities to make such by-laws as are required for its proper administration. The new bylaws will replace administrative regulations created under the repealed Section 30 of the Act. Current administrative bylaws will cease to be in force upon the earlier of a) December 12, 2018 (one year after Section 19.1 came into force), or b) the day the regulation is revoked by the authority. Section 19.1 of the Act, sets out the requirements for by-laws as follows:

By-laws

19.1 (1) An authority may make by-laws,

(a) respecting the meetings to be held by the authority, including providing for the calling of the meetings and the procedures to be followed at meetings, specifying which meetings, if any, may be closed to the public; (b) prescribing the powers and duties of the secretary-treasurer; (c) designating and empowering officers to sign contracts, agreements and other documents on behalf of the authority; (d) delegating all or any of its powers to the executive committee except,

(i) the termination of the services of the secretary-treasurer,

(ii) the power to raise money, and

(iii) the power to enter into contracts or agreements other than those contracts or agreements as are necessarily incidental to the works approved by the authority;

(e) providing for the composition of its executive committee and for the establishment of other committees that it considers advisable and respecting any other matters relating to its governance; (f) respecting the roles and responsibilities of the members of the authority and of its officers and senior staff; (g) requiring accountability and transparency in the administration of the authority including,

(i) providing for the retention of records specified in the by-laws and for making the records available to the public,

(ii) establishing a code of conduct for the members of the authority, and

(iii) adopting conflict of interest guidelines for the members of the authority;

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October 16, 2018, amended Nov 11, 2019, April 2, 2020, August 6, 2020 (h) respecting the management of the authority’s financial affairs, including auditing and reporting on the authority’s finances; (i) respecting the by-law review required under subsection (3) and providing for the frequency of the reviews; and (j) respecting such other matters as may be prescribed by regulation.

Conflict with other laws

(2) If a by-law made by an authority conflicts with any provision of the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act or the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act or a provision of a regulation made under one of those Acts, the provision of the Act or regulation prevails.

Periodic review of by-laws

(3) At such regular intervals as may be determined by by-law, an authority shall undertake a review of all of its by-laws to ensure, amongst other things, that the by-laws are in compliance with any Act referred to in subsection (2) or any other relevant law.

By-laws available to public

(4) An authority shall make its by-laws available to the public in the manner it considers appropriate.

Transition

(5) An authority shall make such by-laws under this section as are required for its proper administration,

(a) in the case of an authority that was established on or before the day section 16 of Schedule 4 to the Building Better Communities and Conserving Watersheds Act, 2017 comes into force, within one year of that day; and (b) in the case of an authority that is established after the day section 16 of Schedule 4 to the Building Better Communities and Conserving Watersheds Act, 2017 comes into force, within one year of the day the authority is established.

Same

(6) Despite the repeal of section 30 by section 28 of Schedule 4 to the Building Better Communities and Conserving Watersheds Act, 2017, a regulation that was made by an authority under that section continues in force after the repeal until the earlier of,

(a) the day that is one year after the day section 16 of Schedule 4 to the Building Better Communities and Conserving Watersheds Act, 2017 comes into force; and (b) the day the regulation is revoked by the authority.

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October 16, 2018, amended Nov 11, 2019, April 2, 2020, August 6, 2020

Direction by Minister

(7) The Minister may give an authority a written direction to make or amend a by-law on any matter described in subsection (1), in accordance with the direction, within such period of time as may be specified in the direction.

Compliance

(8) The authority that receives a direction under subsection (7) shall comply with the direction within the time specified in the direction.

Regulation where failure to comply

(9) If an authority fails to adopt a by-law in accordance with the direction made under subsection (7), the Minister may make regulations in relation to the matters set out in the direction that are applicable in the area of jurisdiction of the authority.

Same

(10) Any regulation made by the Minister under subsection (9) prevails over any conflicting by-law that the authority may have adopted.

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October 16, 2018, amended Nov 11, 2019, April 2, 2020, August 6, 2020 II. Administrative By-Law Introduction Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority is a non-share corporation, established under Section 3 of the Conservation Authorities Act, with the objects to provide, in the area over which it has jurisdiction, programs and services designed to further the conservation, restoration, development and management of natural resources other than gas, coal and minerals. Under the Act, municipalities within a common watershed are enabled to petition the province to establish a conservation authority. The purpose of the Act is to provide for the organization and delivery of programs and services that further the conservation, restoration, development and management of natural resources in watersheds in Ontario. The Authority is comprised of its Members, appointed as representatives by the following Participating Municipalities:

Municipality of Arran-Elderslie Municipality of Brockton Township of Chatsworth Municipality of Grey Highlands Town of Hanover Township of Howick Township of Huron-Kinloss Municipality of Kincardine Town of Minto Municipality of Morris-Turnberry Town of Saugeen Shores Municipality of South Bruce Township of Southgate Township of Wellington North Municipality of West Grey

Vision/Mission The Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority has as its vision a watershed where human needs are met in balance with the needs of the natural environment. The Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority has as its mission to provide leadership and expertise to ensure responsible and effective stewardship programs with our municipal communities and other government partners so that future generations will experience a higher quality of life. The Members of the Conservation Authority form the General Membership of the Conservation Authority. The Members are bound by the Act and other applicable legislation. The Authority must always act within the scope of its powers. As a non-share corporation, the Authority has the capacity and, subject to the Act and other applicable legislation, the rights, powers and privileges of a natural person. The powers of a conservation authority to accomplish its objects are set out in the Act, including those identified under subsection 21(1) [Appendix 4].

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October 16, 2018, amended Nov 11, 2019, April 2, 2020, August 6, 2020 Section 20 of the Act defines the objects of a conservation authority as follows:

Objects 20 (1) The objects of an authority are to provide, in the area over which it has jurisdiction, programs and services designed to further the conservation, restoration, development and management of natural resources other than gas, oil, coal and minerals.

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October 16, 2018, amended Nov 11, 2019, April 2, 2020, August 6, 2020 A. Definitions

“Authority” means the Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority and is the assembled mMembers as appointed by the municipalities. “Act” means the Conservation Authorities Act, R.S.O. 1990, chapter C.27 “Chair” means the Chairperson as referenced in the Act as elected by the Members of the Authority. “Chief Administrative Officer” means the General Manager of the Authority, and which may, by resolution of the Authority, include the responsibilities of the Secretary-Treasurer if so designated by resolution of the Authority. “Fiscal Year” means the period from January 1 through December 31. “General Membership” means all of the Members, collectively. The General Membership is also the Board of Directors of the Corporation. “Levy” means the amount of costs apportioned to participating municipalities in accordance with the Act and Regulations under the Act. “Majority” means half of the votes plus one. “Members” shall mean the mMembers appointed to the Authority by the participating municipalities in the Authority’s area of jurisdiction. Members of the Authority are also the Directors of the Corporation. “Non-matching Levy” means that portion of an Authority’s levy that meets the definition of non- matching levy as found in Ontario Regulation 139/96. “Officer” means an officer of the Authority empowered to sign contracts, agreements and other documents on behalf of the Authority in accordance with section 19.1 of the Act, which shall include the Chair, Vice-Chair(s), the General Manager/Secretary-Treasurer, and the Manager of Accounting. “Participating Municipality” means a municipality that is designated by or under the Act as a participating municipality in a conservation authority. “Pecuniary Interest” includes the financial or material interests of a Member and the financial or material interests of a member of the Member’s immediate family. “Secretary-Treasurer” means Secretary-Treasurer of the Authority with the roles specified in the Act. “Staff” means employees of the Authority as provided for under Section 18(1) of the Act. “Vice-Chair” means the Vice-Chairperson as elected by the Members of the Authority. If a first and second Vice-Chair are elected, they shall be called First Vice-Chair and Second Vice-Chair. “Weighted Majority” means the votes of 51 per cent of those represented after the votes are weighted by the percentage that applies under Ontario Regulation 139/96 for Municipal Levies.

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October 16, 2018, amended Nov 11, 2019, April 2, 2020, August 6, 2020 B. Governance

1. Members

a) Appointments Participating Municipalities within the jurisdiction of the Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority may appoint Members in accordance with Section 14 of the Act.

Appointed Members must reside in a Participating Municipality within the Authority’s area of jurisdiction and may include citizens as well as elected members of municipal councils.

Collectively, the appointed Members comprise the Authority, and for the purposes of this by-law are also referred to as the General Membership.

b) Term of Member Appointments In accordance with Section 14 of the Act, a Member shall be appointed for a term of up to four years at the discretion of the appointing municipal council; such term beginning at the first meeting of the Authority following his or her appointment and ending immediately before the first meeting of the Authority following the appointment of his or her replacement. The GM/S-T shall notify the appropriate municipality in advance of the expiration date of any Member’s term, unless notified by the municipality of the Member’s reappointment or the appointment of his or her replacement. A Member is eligible for reappointment. A Member can be replaced by a Participating Municipality at their discretion prior to the end of their term.

Authority Representation Number of Members Municipality of Arran-Elderslie 1 Municipality of Brockton 1 Township of Chatsworth 1 Municipality of Grey Highlands 1 Town of Hanover 1 Township of Huron-Kinloss 1 Municipality of Kincardine 2 Municipality of Morris-Turnberry/Municipality of South Bruce/ 1 Township of Howick Town of Saugeen Shores 2 Township of Southgate 1 Municipality of Wellington North/Town of Minto 1 Municipality of West Grey 2 15

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October 16, 2018, amended Nov 11, 2019, April 2, 2020, August 6, 2020 c) Powers of the General Membership Subject to the Act and other applicable legislation, the General Membership is empowered without restriction to exercise all of the powers prescribed to the Authority under Section 21(1) and Section 28 of the Act. In addition to the powers of an authority under s.21 of the Act for the purposes of accomplishing its objects, as referenced in Section 1 above, the powers of the General Membership include but are not limited to:

a) Approving by resolution, the creation of Committees and/or Advisory Boards, the mMembers thereof and the terms of reference for these Committees and/or Advisory Boards; b) Appointing a General Manager and/or Secretary-Treasurer; c) Terminating the services of the General Manager and/or Secretary-Treasurer; d) Approving establishing and implementing regulations, policies and programs; e) Awarding contracts or agreements where the approval of the Authority is required under the Authority’s purchasing policy; f) Appointing an Executive Committee and delegate to the Committee any of its powers except: i. The termination of the services of the General Manager/Secretary-Treasurer, ii. The power to raise money, and iii. The power to enter into contracts or agreements other than those contracts or agreements as are necessarily incidental to the works approved by the Authority. g) Approving by resolution, any new capital project of the Authority; h) Approving by resolution, the method of financing any new capital projects; i) Approving details on budget allocations on any new or existing capital projects; j) Approving of the total budget for the ensuing year, and approving the levies to be paid by the Participating Municipalities; k) Receiving and approving the Financial Statements and Report of the Auditor for the preceding year; l) Authorizing the borrowing of funds on the promissory note of the Authority in accordance with subsection 3(5) of the Act; m) Approving by resolution, any proposed expropriation of land or disposition of land, subject to the requirements under the Act; n) Approving permits or refusing permission as may be required under any regulations made under Section 28 of the Act; o) Holding hearings required for the purpose of reviewing permit applications and advising every applicant of their right to appeal the decision to the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry through the Mining and Lands Tribunal.

d) Member Accountability Participating Municipalities appoint Members to the Authority as their representatives. Members have the responsibilities of Directors of the corporation that is the Authority. While the administration is responsible for the day-to-day operations, the General Membership is responsible for matters of governance, ensuring compliance with applicable legislation, and ensuring appropriate policies are in place and for financial soundness of the Authority.

All Members have the responsibility to be guided by and adhere to the Code of Conduct (Appendix 1) and Conflict of Interest Policy (Appendix 2), as adopted by the Authority.

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October 16, 2018, amended Nov 11, 2019, April 2, 2020, August 6, 2020

Members are responsible for: a) Attending all meetings of the Authority; b) Understanding the purpose, function and responsibilities of the aAuthority; c) Being familiar with the Authority’s statutory and other legal obligations; d) With the administration, set strategic direction for the Authority; e) Keeping the represented municipal council informed of Authority projects, programs and activities.

e) Applicable Legislation In addition to the Act, the Members are subject to other legislation including, but not limited to: • Municipal Conflict of Interest Act • Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act If any part of the by-law conflicts with any provision of the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act or the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act or a provision of a regulation made under one of those acts, the provision of that act or regulation prevails.

f) Relationship Between Members and Staff The General Membership relies on the General Manager/Secretary-Treasurer (GM/S-T) to manage the operations of the organization, including all employees of the Authority. The GM/S-T is accountable to the Authority, working cooperatively to achieve the goals established by the Authority. The General Membership will ensure that a process exists for regular performance evaluations of the GM/S-T.

2. Officers The Officers of the Authority, and their respective responsibilities, shall be:

a) Chair • Is a Member of the Authority; • Presides at all meetings of the General Membership (and Executive Committee if applicable); • Calls special meetings if necessary; • Acts as a public spokesperson on behalf of the General Membership; • Serves as signing officer for the Authority; • Ensures relevant information and policies are brought to the Authority’s attention; • Keeps the General Membership apprised of significant issues in a timely fashion; • Performs other duties when directed to do so by resolution of the Authority; • Directs the General Manager/Secretary-Treasurer in the operation and administration of the Authority and, in particular, in such matters as have not been decided by regulation or by resolution of the Authority; • Be “ex-officio” mMember of all committees, sub-committees and ad hoc committees appointed from time to time by the Members of the Authority; • Represents the Authority as a voting member of Conservation Ontario.

b) Vice-Chair(s) • Is/are a Member(s) of the Authority;

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October 16, 2018, amended Nov 11, 2019, April 2, 2020, August 6, 2020 • Attends at all meetings of the Authority (and Executive Committee if applicable); • Carries out assignments as requested by the Chair; • Understands the responsibilities of the Chair and acts as Chair immediately upon the death, incapacity to act, absence or resignation of the Chair until such time as a new Chair is appointed or until the Chair resumes his/her duties; • Serves as a signing officer for the Authority; • Represents the Authority as the first alternate voting member of Conservation Ontario.

c) General Manager/Secretary-Treasurer The duties of the General Manager and Secretary-Treasurer are combined and assigned to a single position, and the person will be called the General Manager/Secretary-Treasurer (GM/S-T). Responsibilities of the GM/S-T as assigned by the Authority include, but are not limited to the following: • Is an employee of the Authority; • Attends all meetings of the General Membership (and Executive Committee if applicable) or designates an acting General Manager if not available; • Works in close collaboration with the Chair and Vice-Chair(s) and keeps them apprised of relevant information and significant issues in a timely fashion; • Develops a strategic plan for approval by the General Membership and Implements short and long-range goals and objectives; • Is responsible for the management of the operations of the Authority, including all staff and programs of the Authority; • Ensures resolutions of the Authority are implemented in a timely fashion; • Fulfills the requirements of the Secretary-Treasurer as defined in the Act; • Develops and maintains effective relationships and ensures good communications with stakeholders, including Participating Municipalities, federal and provincial government ministries/agencies, indigenous communities, other conservation authorities, Conservation Ontario and community groups and associations; • Is the custodian of the Corporate Seal; • Serves as a signing officer for the Authority; • Attends all meeting of the General Membership (and Executive Committee, if applicable); • Represents the Authority as an alternate delegate to Conservation Ontario; • Serves as an Officer for the Saugeen Valley Conservation Foundation; • Assists the Saugeen Valley Conservation Foundation in carrying out its programs, attends Foundation meetings as required, and provides input to the Foundation as requested.

3. Absence of Chair and Vice-Chair(s) In the event of the absence of the Chair and Vice-Chair(s) from any meeting, the mMembers shall appoint an Acting Chair who, for the purposes of that meeting has all the powers and shall perform all the duties of the Chair.

4. Representatives to Conservation Ontario Council The Authority may appoint up to three Representatives to Conservation Ontario Council (“Council”), designated as Voting Delegate and Alternate(s). Council will consist of the Voting Delegates appointed by each Member Conservation Authority. The Voting Delegate and Alternates shall be registered with Conservation Ontario annually.

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October 16, 2018, amended Nov 11, 2019, April 2, 2020, August 6, 2020 5. Election of Chair and Vice-Chairs The election of the Chair and one or more Vice-Chairs shall be at the first meeting held each year [Annual Meeting] in accordance with the Authority’s Procedure for Election of Officers (Appendix 3).

6. Appointment of Auditor The General Membership shall appoint an auditor for the coming year at the Annual Meeting in accordance with Section 38 of the Act.

7. Appointment of Financial Institution The General Membership shall appoint a financial institution to act as the Authority’s banker by Resolution.

8. Appointment of Solicitor The General Membership shall appoint a solicitor(s) for the coming year to act as the Authority’s legal counsel by Resolution.

9. Financial Statements and Report of the Auditor The General Membership shall receive and approve the Audited Financial Statements and Report of the Auditor annually for the previous year by May 31st of the following year.

The Authority shall forward copies of the Audited Financial Statements and Report of the Auditor to Participating Municipalities and the appropriate Ontario Ministry in accordance with Section 38 of the Act and will make the Audited Financial Statements available to the public. The audited financial statements will be made available on the Authority’s website.

10. Borrowing Resolution If required, the Authority shall establish a borrowing resolution by March 31 of each year and such resolution shall be in force until it is superseded by another borrowing resolution.

11. Levy Notice The levy due to the Authority from participating municipalities shall be communicated to those municipalities in accordance with the Act and any applicable Regulations.

12. Signing Officers All deeds, transfers, assignments, contracts, and obligations entered into by the Authority shall be signed by the signing officers of the Authority, as follows: any two of Chair, Vice Chair, GM/S-T, Accounting Manager.

Signing authority that was authorized by any previous Administration Regulation or By-law is superseded by this by-law.

13. Executive Committee The Authority may appoint an executive committee at the first meeting of the General Membership each year in accordance with the Section 19 of the Act and Section 1(c) (vi) of this by-law. The Executive Committee will consist of 5 Members including the Chair, 1st Vice Chair and 2nd Vice Chair, and immediate Past Chair or Member-at-Large, and. Oone other Aadditional Member will be as appointed by the Chair prior to each meeting.

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October 16, 2018, amended Nov 11, 2019, April 2, 2020, August 6, 2020 Subject to the Conservation Authorities Act and to any powers delegated to a committee or an ad hoc committee, the Executive Committee is empowered to: a) Hold hearings as required under Section 28 of the Conservation Authorities Act and approve or refuse applications; • Hearings under the Development, Interference with Wetlands and Alterations to Shorelines and Watercourses Regulation (Ontario Regulation 169/06) or any other regulations of the Authority shall be carried out separate from any regular meeting and will not form part of a regular meeting. Minutes and/or reports from a Hearing may, however, be presented at a regular meeting for information purposes. The Authority will not impose a fee on the applicant for conducting a Hearing under the Development, Interference with Wetlands and Alterations to Shorelines and Watercourses Regulation (Ontario Regulation 169/06). b) Consider legal matters and refer matters requiring legal interpretation and guidance to an Authority solicitor for an opinion or action; c) Meet at the request of the General Manager/Secretary-Treasurer to discuss personnel matters; d) Deal with urgent financial matters that may arise from time to time; e) Deal with matters regarding land disposition, acquisition or other confidential land-related matters. f) Hold administrative reviews with respect to the completeness of a S28 permit application and that such reviews be open to attendance by all Authority mMembers and that all Authority mMembers present have voting privileges and that a majority of Executive Committee mMembers must be present to constitute a meeting. Any motions subjected to a vote require a majority of those mMembers present and voting. f)g) Hold a Special Executive Committee meeting called by the Chair for the purposes of the discussion of supplemental information concerning an urgent or time sensitive permit file application. The Committee may give staff direction regarding the application.

14. Advisory Boards and Other Committees In accordance with Section 18(2) of the Act, the Authority shall establish such advisory boards as required by regulation and may establish such other advisory boards or committees as it considers appropriate to study and report on specific matters. The General Membership shall approve the terms of reference for all such advisory boards and committees, which shall include the role, the frequency of meetings and the number of mMembers required. Resolutions and policies governing the operation of the Authority shall be observed in all advisory board and committee meetings. Each advisory board or committee shall report to the General Membership, presenting any recommendations made by the advisory board or committee. The dates of all advisory board and committee meetings shall be made available to all Members of the Authority. The Authority may establish committees or ad hoc committees as deemed necessary to deal with short term or long-term matters concerning the operations and programs of the Authority.

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October 16, 2018, amended Nov 11, 2019, April 2, 2020, August 6, 2020 Examples of current committees: • Forestry Committee • Property & Building Committee • Parks Committee • Agricultural Advisory Committee Committees make recommendations or suggestions only to the full Authority and do not have the power to commit the Authority or its finances to any project or program unless specifically delegated to do so by the full Authority.

15. Remuneration of Members The Authority shall establish a per-diem rate from time to time to be paid to Members for attendance at General Meetings and Advisory Board or Committee meetings, and at such other business functions as may be from time to time requested by the Chair, through the General Manager/Secretary-Treasurer. In addition, an honorarium may be approved by the Authority for the Chair and Vice-chair(s) as compensation for their additional responsibilities. A single per-diem will be paid for attendance at more than one meeting if they occur consecutively on the same day. The Authority shall reimburse Members’ reasonable travel expenses incurred for the purpose of attending meetings and/or functions on behalf of the Authority. A per-kilometre rate to be paid for use of a personal vehicle shall be approved by Resolution of the General Membership from time-to-time. Requests for such reimbursements shall be submitted within a timely fashion and shall be consistent with Canada Revenue Agency guidelines.

If no quorum is present, the per diem rate shall be paid to those in attendance. A T4 slip will be issued for the total amount Members receive for per diem.

16. Records Retention The Authority shall keep full and accurate records including, but not limited to: a) Minutes of all meetings of the Authority, including registries of statements of interests in accordance with the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act; b) Assets, liabilities, receipts and disbursements of the Authority and Financial Statements and Reports of the Auditors; c) Human Resources Ffiles for all employees and Members as applicable; d) Workplace Health and Safety documents including workplace inspections, workplace accidents, investigations, etc.; e) Electronic Ccommunications including emails; f) Contracts and A agreements entered into by the Authority; g) Strategic Plans and other documents providing organizational direction; h) Projects of the Authority; i) Technical Sstudies and data gathered in support of Pprograms of the Authority; j) Legal Pproceedings involving the Authority; k) Incidents of personal injury or property damage involving the Authority and members of the public.

Such records shall be retained and protected in accordance with all applicable laws and the Records Retention Policy of the Authority as approved by the General Membership from time-to- time.

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October 16, 2018, amended Nov 11, 2019, April 2, 2020, August 6, 2020 17. Records Available to Public Records of the Authority shall be made available to the public, subject to requirements of the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Personal Privacy Act (MFIPPA).

The GM/S-T shall be designated as “Head” for the purposes of conducting affairs under the Freedom of Information and Privacy Act and any associated regulations thereof.

18. By-law Review In accordance with the Act, these by-laws shall be reviewed by the Authority to ensure the by- laws are in compliance with the Act and any other relevant law. The General Membership shall review the by-laws on a regular basis to ensure best management practices in governance are being followed. This review will be performed at least every four years.

19. By-laws Available to Public In accordance with the Act, the Authority shall make its by-laws available to the public, including written and alternative formats, in accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, if requested by a member of the public.

20. Enforcement of By-laws and Policies The Members shall respect and adhere to all applicable by-laws and policies (for example, the Code of Conduct and Conflict of Interest). The Authority may take reasonable measures to enforce its by-laws and policies, including the enforcement mechanisms under the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act. The procedure should include: • An investigation will be conducted regarding the alleged breach; • An opportunity will be provided to the affected mMember to respond to the allegation; • The findings of the investigation and the affected mMember’s response will be communicated to the General Membership in a closed meeting; • The appointing municipality shall be notified of the outcome of the investigation.

21. Indemnification of Members, Officers and Employees The Authority shall maintain a liability insurance policy for Directors and Officers.

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October 16, 2018, amended Nov 11, 2019, April 2, 2020, August 6, 2020 C. Meeting Procedures The Meeting Procedures below governing the procedure of the Authority shall be observed in Executive Committee, Advisory Board, and Committee meetings, as far as they are applicable, and the words Executive Committee, Advisory Board, or Committee may be substituted for the word Authority as applicable

1. Rules of Procedure In all matters of procedure not specifically dealt with under the Act and this By-law, the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order or other generally accepted rules of procedure shall be binding.

The Authority may choose to conduct its business as a committee of the whole.

2. Declared State of EmergencyElectronic Meetings and Conference Calls Members may participate in a meeting by telephonic or other electronic means during any period where an emergency has been declared to exist, or at the discretion of the Chair. All participants must be able to communicate adequately with each other during the meeting.

All Members participating in an electronic meeting shall receive a paid per diem in accordance with normal practices. 2.a) Declared State of Emergency During any period where an emergency has been declared to exist, in all or part of an area over which the Authority has jurisdiction, under Section 4 or 7.0.1 of the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act, that may prevent the General Membership from meeting in person, a Member may participate in meetings electronically and shall have the ability to:

a.i. register a vote; b.ii. be counted towards determining quorum; and c.iii. participate in meetings closed to the public.

During any period where an emergency has been declared to exist, in all or part of an area over which the Authority has jurisdiction, under Section 4 or 7.0.1 of the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act, that may prevent the General Membership from meeting in person, any date or timeline requirement established under any Section in this By-law shall be postponed until such time as the General Membership can reasonably address the issue.

During any period where an emergency has been declared to exist, in all or part of an area over which the Authority has jurisdiction, under Section 4 or 7.0.1 of the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act, the Authority shall implement best practices to make meetings of the Authority open to the public in accordance with Subsection 15(3) of the Act. Where possible, the Authority will provide for alternative means for the public to participate in access live audio/video of meetings electronically.

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October 16, 2018, amended Nov 11, 2019, April 2, 2020, August 6, 2020 hearing or appeal dealt with in this By-law may be conducted electronically with provisions for applicants and their agents to participate if the Authority decides to hold any such hearing or appeal.

b) At the discretion of the Chair The Chair may call for an Authority or Committee meeting to be held electronically for, (but not limited to) the following reasons: i. Inclement weather causing road closures; ii. When a quorum can not be attained for an in-person meeting. During a meeting that has been designated to be conducted as an in-person meeting, any Member unable to attend in person will be considered absent and will not be counted in determining quorum. When a meeting is to be conducted remotely at the discretion of the Chair, all Members in attendance shall have the ability to: i. register a vote; ii. be counted towards determining quorum. A Closed In-Camera session should not be conducted electronically during times when no emergency has been declared to exist.

c) Conference Calls Conference calls should be limited to committee or ad hoc meetings only.

3. Notice of Meeting The General Membership shall approve a schedule for regular meetings in advance. The General Manager/Secretary-Treasurer shall send Notice of regular meetings to all Members at least seven calendar days in advance of a meeting. Notice of all regular or special meetings of the General Membership or its committees shall be made available to the public as soon as possible after its delivery to General Membership.

The chair may call a special meeting of the Authority, as necessary. Any mMember, with 50% support of the other mMembers, may also request the Chair to call a meeting of the Authority and the Chair will not refuse.

Notice of any meeting shall indicate the time and place of that meeting and the agenda for the meeting.

All material and correspondence to be dealt with by the Authority at a meeting will be submitted to the General Manager/Secretary-Treasurer twelve calendar days in advance of the meeting where it is to be dealt with.

The Chair may, at his/her pleasure or at the request of a Member with a majority support of the other mMembers, call a special meeting of the Authority on three calendar days’ notice in writing

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October 16, 2018, amended Nov 11, 2019, April 2, 2020, August 6, 2020 or email. That notice shall state the business of the special meeting and only that business shall be considered at that special meeting.

The Chair or the Secretary-Treasurer may, by notice in writing or email, deliver to the mMembers so as to be received by them at least twelve hours before the hour appointed for the meeting, postpone or cancel any meeting of an Advisory Committee or other committee until the next scheduled date for the specific Advisory Committee or committee affected.

The Chair may, if it appears that a storm or like occurrence will prevent the mMembers from attending a meeting, postpone that meeting by advising as many mMembers as can be reached. Postponement shall not be for any longer than the next regularly scheduled meeting date. The Chair may alternately request that the meeting be held remotely.

Anyone wishing notice of meetings shall leave their name and address with the General Manager/Secretary-Treasurer. The General Manager/Secretary-Treasurer or designate shall inform that person, in writing, by telephone or electronic mail, in advance of other meetings.

4. Meetings Open to Public All meetings of the General Membership and Executive Committee, if applicable, shall be open to the public. A meeting or part of a meeting may be closed to the public if the subject matter being considered is identified in the closed meeting section of the Agenda and the subject matter meets the criteria for a closed meeting as defined in this by-law.

5. Agenda for Meetings Authority staff, under the supervision of the Chair and the GM/S-T, shall prepare an agenda for all regular meetings of the Authority that shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, the following headings: • Presentations • Matters Arising from the Minutes • Correspondence • Reports • New Business • Other Business

The agenda for special meetings of the Authority shall be prepared as directed by the Chair.

Agendas for full Authority meetings shall be forwarded to all Members at least seven calendar days in advance of the meeting. Such agendas shall be made available to the public on the Authority’s website at the same time, unless the meeting is closed to the public in accordance with this by-law. Such agendas shall also be available in alternative formats, in accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, if requested by interested parties.

Agendas for Committee meetings shall be made available to Committee Members as early as possible. Committee agendas shall be made available to the public on the Authority’s website at the same time unless the meeting is closed to the public.

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October 16, 2018, amended Nov 11, 2019, April 2, 2020, August 6, 2020 6. Quorum At any meeting of the General Membership, a quorum consists of one-half of the Members appointed by the Participating Municipalities. With a 15-mMember Authority, 8 mMembers constitutes a quorum. At any Executive Committee, advisory committee or committee meeting, a quorum consists of one-half of the Members of the Executive Committee, advisory board or committee.

If there is no quorum within one half hour after the time appointed for the meeting, the Chair for the meeting shall declare the meeting adjourned due to a lack of a quorum, or shall recess until quorum arrives, and the recording secretary shall record the names of the Members present and absent.

If during an Authority or Advisory Board or Committee meeting a quorum is lost, then the Chair shall declare that the meeting shall stand recessed or adjourned, until the date of the next regular meeting or other meeting called in accordance with the provisions of this by- law. Agenda items including delegations present may be covered and presented and issues discussed, but no formal decisions may be taken by the remaining Members which do not constitute a quorum.

Where the number of Members who are disabled from participating in a meeting due to the declaration of a conflict of interest is such that at that meeting the remaining Members are not of sufficient number to constitute a quorum, the remaining number of Members shall be deemed to constitute a quorum, provided such number is not less than two.

7. Order of Business The business of the Authority shall be taken up in the order in which it stands on the agenda unless otherwise decided by a majority of those Members present.

No Member shall present any matter to the Authority for its consideration unless the matter appears on the agenda for the meeting of the Authority or leave is granted to present the matter by the affirmative vote of a majority of the Members present.

8. Debate The Authority shall observe the following procedures for discussion/debate on any matter coming before it: a) A Member shall be recognized by the Chair prior to speaking; b) Where two or more Members rise to speak, the Chair shall designate the Member who has the floor, who shall be the Member who in the opinion of the Chair was first recognized; c) All questions and points of discussion shall be directed through the Chair; d) Where a motion is presented, it shall be moved and seconded before debate; e) No Member shall speak more than once to the same question without leave from the Chair, except in explanation of a material part of the speech; f) No Member shall speak more than three minutes without leave of the Chair; g) Any Member may ask a question of the previous speaker through the Chair; h) The Member who has presented a motion, other than a motion to amend or dispose of a motion, may speak again to the motion immediately before the Chair puts the motion to a vote;

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October 16, 2018, amended Nov 11, 2019, April 2, 2020, August 6, 2020 i) When a motion is under debate, no motion shall be received other than a motion to amend, to defer action, to refer the question, to take a vote, to adjourn, or to extend the hour of closing the proceedings; j) When a motion is under consideration, only one amendment is permitted at a time.

9. Matters of Precedence The following matters shall have precedence over the usual order of business: a) A point of order; b) Matter of privilege; c) A matter of clarification; d) A motion to suspend a rule of procedure or to request compliance with the rules of procedure; e) A motion that the question be put to a vote; f) A motion to adjourn.

10. Members’ Attendance The Authority shall provide a listing of Members’ attendance at scheduled meetings of the Authority to the Participating Municipalities at least annually.

Upon a Member’s vacancy due to death, incapacity or resignation occurring in any office of the Authority, the Authority shall request the municipality that was represented by that Member appoint a Member replacement.

If a Member is unable to attend any meeting and wishes to bring any additional information or opinion pertaining to an agenda item to the General Membership, the Member shall address in writing or email to the Chair or Secretary-Treasurer such correspondence prior to the start of the meeting. The correspondence shall be read aloud by the Secretary-Treasurer without comment or explanations.

If a Member is absent from three consecutive Authority meetings, regardless of notification of absence, the General Manager/Secretary-Treasurer shall notify the Municipality of those absences. If a Member is absent from three or more consecutive Authority meetings, without notification of absence to the General Manager/Secretary-Treasurer, the Member will be considered to have resigned and the Municipality will be requested to appoint a new Member.

11. Electronic Participation Members may participate in a meeting that is open to the public by telephonic or other electronic means that permits all participants to communicate adequately with each other during the meeting. A Member participating in a meeting electronically shall not be counted in determining quorum.

Where circumstances warrant, conference calls will be considered as official meetings of the Authority and participating Members will receive paid per diem in accordance with normal practices.

A Member shall not participate electronically in a meeting that is closed to the public.

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October 16, 2018, amended Nov 11, 2019, April 2, 2020, August 6, 2020 12.11. Delegations Any person or organization who wishes to address the Authority may make a request in writing or email to the Secretary-Treasurer. The request should include a brief statement of the issue or matter involved and indicate the name of the proposed speaker(s). If such request is received at least twelve calendar days in advance of a scheduled meeting, the delegation shall be listed on the published agenda.

Any person or organization requesting an opportunity to address the Authority but not having made a written request to do so in the timelines specified above, may appear before a meeting of the Authority but will be heard only if approved by a majority of the Members of the meeting.

Except by leave of the Chair or appeal by the leave of the meeting, delegations shall be limited to one (1) speaker for not more than 10 minutes.

Speakers will be requested not to repeat what has been said by previous speakers at the meeting. A returning delegation will only be allowed to speak again if new, relevant information has become available since their previous presentation. The Chair may choose to end a returning delegation’s presentation if, in the opinion of the Chair, the new information being presented is not relevant to a decision facing the General Membership.

13.12. Annual Meeting The Authority shall designate one the first meeting of the General Membership each year as the annual meeting and shall include the election of officers in addition to the normal course of business.

14.13. Meetings with Closed “In Camera” Sessions Every meeting of the General Membership, Executive Committee, Advisory Boards, and Committees if applicable, shall be open to the public as per Section 15(3) of the Act, subject to the exceptions set out below.

Meetings may be closed to the public if the subject matter being considered relates to: a) The security of the property of the Authority; b) Personal matters about an identifiable individual, including employees of the Authority; c) A proposed or pending acquisition or disposition of land by the Authority; d) Labour relations or employee negotiations; e) Litigation or potential litigation, including matters before administrative tribunals (e.g. Local Planning Appeal Tribunal), affecting the Authority; f) Advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege; g) A matter in respect of which the General Membership, Executive Committee, Advisory Board or committee or other body may hold a closed meeting under another act; h) Information explicitly supplied in confidence to the Authority by Canada, a province or territory or a Crown agency of any of them; i) A trade secret or scientific, technical, commercial, financial or labour relations information, supplied in confidence to the Authority, which, if disclosed, could reasonably be expected to prejudice significantly the competitive position or interfere significantly with the contractual or other negotiations of a person, group of persons, or organization; j) A trade secret or scientific, technical, commercial or financial information that belongs to the Authority and has monetary value or potential monetary value; or

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October 16, 2018, amended Nov 11, 2019, April 2, 2020, August 6, 2020

k) A position, plan, procedure, criteria or instruction to be applied to any negotiations carried on or to be carried on by or on behalf of the Authority.

The Authority shall close a meeting if the subject matter relates to the consideration of a request under MFIPPA, and the Authority is the head of an institution for the purposes of MFIPPA.

Before holding a meeting or part of a meeting that is to be closed to the public, the Members shall state by resolution during the open session of the meeting that there will be a meeting closed to the public and the general nature of the matter to be considered at the closed meeting. Once matters have been dealt with in a closed meeting, the General Membership shall reconvene in an open session.

The General Membership shall not vote during a meeting that is closed to the public, unless: a) The meeting meets the criteria outlined in this by-law to be closed to the public; and b) The vote is for a procedural matter or for giving directions or instructions to Officers, employees or agents of Authority.

Any materials presented to the General Membership during a closed meeting shall be returned to the Secretary-Treasurer prior to departing from the meeting and shall be treated in accordance with the Authority’s procedures for handling confidential material.

A meeting of the Authority, executive committee, advisory board or other committee may also be closed to the public if: a) The meeting is held for the purpose of educating or training the Members, and b) At the meeting, no Member discusses or otherwise deals with any matter in a way that materially advances the business or decision-making of the authority, the executive committee, advisory board or other committee.

15.14. Voting In accordance with Section 16 of the Act: a) Each Member, including the Chair, is entitled to one vote, and b) A majority vote of the Members present at any meeting, including Authority, Committee, and ad hoc meetings is required upon all matters coming before the meeting.

If any Member abstains from voting, they shall be deemed to be a negative vote. On a tie vote, the motion is lost. Interrelated motions shall be voted on in the order specified in Robert’s Rules of Order or other generally accepted rules of procedure. Unless a Member requests a recorded vote, a vote shall be by a show of hands or such other means as the Chair may call. No question shall be voted upon more than once at any meeting, unless a recorded vote is requested. If a m Member present at a meeting at the time of the vote requests immediately before or after the taking of the vote that the vote be recorded, each mMember present taken by alphabetical surname with the Chair voting last, except a mMember who is disqualified from voting by any Act,

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October 16, 2018, amended Nov 11, 2019, April 2, 2020, August 6, 2020 shall announce his or her vote openly answering “yes” or “no” to the question, and the Recording Secretary shall record each vote. At the meeting of the Authority at which the Non-Matching Levy is to be approved, the GM/S-T shall conduct the vote to approve of Non-Matching Levy by a Weighted Majority of the Members present and eligible to vote, in accordance with Ontario Regulation 139/96. Where a question under consideration contains more than one item, upon the request of any Member, a vote upon each item shall be taken separately. Except as provided in Section B, Paragraph 5 of this By-law (Election of Chair and Vice-Chair), no vote shall be taken by ballot or by any other method of secret voting, and every vote so taken is of no effect.

16.15. Notice of Motion Written notice of motion to be made at an Authority, executive committee, advisory board or committee meeting may be given to the GM/S-T by any Member of the Authority not less than twelve calendar days prior to the date and time of the meeting and shall be forthwith placed on the agenda of the next meeting. The Secretary-Treasurer shall include such notice of motion in full in the agenda for the meeting concerned.

Recommendations included in reports of advisory boards or committees that have been included in an agenda for a meeting of the General Membership or Executive Committee (if applicable), shall constitute notice of motion for that meeting.

Recommendations included in staff reports that have been included in an agenda for a meeting of the General Membership or Executive Committee (if applicable), shall constitute notice of motion for that meeting.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, any motion or other business may be introduced for consideration of the Authority provided that it is made clear that to delay such motion or other business for the consideration of an appropriate advisory board or committee would not be in the best interest of the Authority and that the introduction of the motion or other business shall be upon an affirmative vote of a majority of the mMembers of the Authority present.

17.16. Motion to Reconsider If a motion is made to reconsider a previous motion, a two-thirds majority vote shall be required in order for reconsideration to take place. If a motion to reconsider is passed, the original motion shall then be placed on the agenda at a future meeting to be debated and voted upon, and the result of that vote, based on a simple majority, shall supersede.

18.17. Duties of the Meeting Chair It shall be the duty of the Chair, with respect to any meetings over which he/she presides, to: a) Preserve order and decide all questions of order, subject to appeal; and without argument or comment, state the rule applicable to any point of order if called upon to do so; b) Ensure that the public in attendance does not in any way interfere or disrupt the proceedings of the Members; c) Receive and submit to a vote all motions presented by the Members, which do not contravene the rules of order or regulations of the Authority;

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October 16, 2018, amended Nov 11, 2019, April 2, 2020, August 6, 2020 d) Announce the results of the vote on any motions so presented; e) Adjourn the meeting when business is concluded.

19.18. Conduct of Members Members shall maintain a high standard for conduct and at all times comply with applicable laws and the Authority’s Code of Conduct (Appendix 1). No Member at any meeting of the Authority shall: a) Speak in a manner that is discriminatory in nature based on an individual’s race, ancestry, place of origin, citizenship, creed, gender, sexual orientation, age, colour, marital status, family status or disability; b) Leave their seat or make any noise or disturbance while a vote is being taken or until the result is declared; c) Interrupt a Member while speaking, except to raise a point of order or a question of privilege; d) Speak disrespectfully or use offensive words against the Authority, the Members, staff, or any member of the public; e) Speak beyond the question(s) under debate; f) Resist the rules of order or disobey the decision of the Chair on the questions or order or practices or upon the interpretation of the By-laws.

19. Minutes of Meetings The General Manager/Secretary-Treasurer shall undertake to have a recording secretary in attendance at meetings of the Authority, the Executive Committee and each advisory board or committee. The recording secretary shall make a record in the form of minutes of the meeting proceedings and in particular shall record all motions considered at the meeting.

If a recording secretary is not present in a closed session, the Secretary-Treasurer shall take notes of any direction provided, for endorsement by the Chair and Vice-Chair.

Minutes of all meetings shall include the time and place of the meeting and a list of those present and shall state all motions presented together with the mover and seconder and voting results.

The Secretary-Treasurer or designate shall include draft minutes of the previous meeting available to each mMember of the Authority at the same time as agendas for the next meeting are distributed.

After the minutes have been approved by resolution, original copies shall be signed by the Chair and Recording Secretary and copies of all non-confidential minutes shall be posted on the Authority’s website. Such minutes shall also be available for review by any member of the public at the Authority’s administration centre or provided in alternative formats, in accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, if requested by interested parties.

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October 16, 2018, amended Nov 11, 2019, April 2, 2020, August 6, 2020 D. Appendices to the Administrative By-law

Appendix 1 - Code of Conduct 1. Background The Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority demands a high level of integrity and ethical conduct from its General Membership. The Authority’s reputation has relied upon the good judgement of individual Members. A written Code of Conduct helps to ensure that all Members share a common basis for acceptable conduct. Formalized standards help to provide a reference guide and a supplement to legislative parameters within which Members must operate. Further, they enhance public confidence that Members operate from a base of integrity, justice and courtesy.

The Code of Conduct is a general standard. It augments the laws which govern the behaviour of Members, and it is not intended to replace personal ethics.

This Code of Conduct will also assist Members in dealing with confronting situations not adequately addressed or that may be ambiguous in Authority resolutions, regulations, or policies and procedures. 2. General All Members, whether municipal councillors or appointed representatives of a municipality, are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that reflects positively on the Authority.

All Members shall serve in a conscientious and diligent manner. No Member shall use the influence of office for any purpose other than for the exercise of his/her official duties.

It is expected that Members adhere to a code of conduct that: a) Upholds the mandate, vision and mission of the Authority; b) Considers the Authority’s jurisdiction in its entirety, including their appointing municipality; c) Respects confidentiality; d) Approaches all Authority issues with an open mind, with consideration for the organization as a whole; e) Exercises the powers of a Member when acting in a meeting of the Authority; f) Respects the democratic process and respects decisions of the General Membership, Executive Committee, Advisory Boards and other committees; g) Declares any direct or indirect pecuniary interest or conflict of interest when one exists or may exist; and h) Conducts oneself in a manner which reflects respect and professional courtesy and does not use offensive language in or against the Authority or against any Member or any Authority staff.

3. Gifts and Benefits Members shall not accept fees, gifts, hospitality or personal benefits that are connected directly or indirectly with the performance of duties, except compensation authorized by law.

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October 16, 2018, amended Nov 11, 2019, April 2, 2020, August 6, 2020 4. Confidentiality The mMembers shall be governed at all times by the provisions of the Municipal Freedom and Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

All information, documentation or deliberations received, reviewed, or taken in a closed meeting are confidential.

Members shall not disclose or release by any means to any member of the public, either in verbal or written form, any confidential information acquired by virtue of their office, except when required by law to do so.

Members shall not permit any persons, other than those who are entitled thereto, to have access to information which is confidential.

In the instance where a mMember vacates their position on the General Membership they will continue to be bound by MFIPPA requirements.

Particular care should be exercised in protecting information such as the following: a) Human Resources matters; b) Information about suppliers provided for evaluation that might be useful to other suppliers; c) Matters relating to the legal affairs of the Authority; d) Sources of complaints where the identity of the complainant is given in confidence; e) Items under negotiation; f) Schedules of prices in tenders or requests for proposals; g) Appraised or estimated values with respect to the Authority’s proposed property acquisitions or dispositions; h) Information deemed to be “personal information” under MFIPPA.

The list above is provided for example and is not exhaustive. 5. Use of Authority Property No Member shall use for personal purposes any Authority property, equipment, supplies, or services of consequence other than for purposes connected with the discharge of Authority duties or associated community activities of which the Authority has been advised. 6. Work of a Political Nature No Member shall use Authority facilities, services or property for his/her election or re-election campaign to any position or office within the Authority or otherwise. 7. Conduct at Authority Meetings During meetings of the Authority, Members shall conduct themselves with decorum. Respect for delegations and for fellow Members requires that all Members show courtesy and not distract from the business of the Authority during presentations and when others have the floor. 8. Influence on Staff Members shall be respectful of the fact that staff work for the Authority as a whole and are charged with making recommendations that reflect their professional expertise and corporate perspective, without undue influence.

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October 16, 2018, amended Nov 11, 2019, April 2, 2020, August 6, 2020 9. Business Relations No Member shall borrow money from any person who regularly does business with the Authority unless such person is an institution or company whose shares are publicly traded and who is regularly in the business of lending money.

No Member shall act as a paid agent before the Authority, the Executive Committee or an advisory board or committee of the Authority, except in compliance with the terms of the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act. 10. Encouragement of Respect for the Authority and its Regulations Members shall represent the Authority in a respectful way and encourage public respect for the Authority and its Regulations. 11. Harassment It is the policy of the Authority that all persons be treated fairly in the workplace in an environment free of discrimination and of personal and sexual harassment. Harassment of another Member, staff or any member of the public is misconduct. Members shall follow the Authority’s Harassment Policy as approved from time-to-time.

Examples of harassment that will not be tolerated include: verbal or physical abuse, threats, derogatory remarks, jokes, innuendo or taunts related to an individual’s race, religious beliefs, colour, gender, physical or mental disabilities, age, ancestry, place of origin, marital status, source of income, family status or sexual orientation. The Authority will also not tolerate the display of pornographic, racist or offensive signs or images; practical jokes that result in awkwardness or embarrassment; unwelcome invitations or requests, whether indirect or explicit and any other prohibited grounds under the provisions of the Ontario Human Rights Code. 12. Breach of Code of Conduct Should a Member breach the Code of Conduct, they shall advise the Chair and Vice-Chair, with a copy to the Secretary Treasurer, as soon as possible after the breach.

Should a Member of the Authority allege that another Member has breached the Code of Conduct, the said breach shall be communicated to the Chair, with a copy to the Secretary- Treasurer, in writing. In the absence of the Chair, or if a Member alleges that the Chair has breached the Code of Conduct, the said breach shall be communicated the Vice-Chair, with a copy to the Secretary-Treasurer, in writing.

Any breach, or alleged breach, of the Code of Conduct shall be investigated in accordance with the Enforcement of By-laws and Policies procedure outlined or referred to in the Authority’s Administrative By-law.

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October 16, 2018, amended Nov 11, 2019, April 2, 2020, August 6, 2020 Appendix 2 - Conflict of Interest 1. Municipal Conflict of Interest Act The Authority Members commit themselves and the Authority to ethical, businesslike, and lawful conduct when acting as the General Membership. The Authority is bound by the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act. This by-law is intended to assist Members in understanding their obligations. Members are required to review the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act on a regular basis. 2. Disclosure of Pecuniary Interest Where a Member, either on his or her own behalf or while acting for, by, with or through another, has any pecuniary interest, direct or indirect, in any matter and is present at a meeting of the Authority, Executive Committee, Advisory Board or committee at which the matter is the subject of consideration, the Member: a) Shall, prior to any consideration of the matter at the meeting, disclose the pecuniary interest and the general nature thereof; b) Shall not take part in the discussion of, or vote on any question in respect of the matter; and, c) Shall not attempt in any way whether before, during or after the meeting to influence the voting on any such question.

3. Chair’s Conflict of Interest or Pecuniary Interest Where the Chair of a meeting discloses a conflict of interest with respect to a matter under consideration at a meeting, another Member shall be appointed to chair that portion of the meeting by Resolution. 4. Closed Meetings Where a meeting is not open to the public, a Member who has declared a conflict of interest shall leave the meeting for the part of the meeting during which the matter is under consideration. 5. Member Absent Where the interest of a Member has not been disclosed by reason of their absence from the particular meeting, the Member shall disclose their interest and otherwise comply at the first meeting of the Authority, Executive Committee, Advisory Board or Committee, as the case may be, attended by them after the particular meeting. 6. Disclosure Recorded in Minutes The recording secretary shall record in reasonable detail the particulars of any disclosure of conflict of interest or pecuniary interest made by Members and whether the Member withdrew from the discussion of the matter. Such record shall appear in the minutes/notes of that particular meeting of the General Membership, Executive Committee, advisory board or committee, as the case may be. 7. Breach of Conflict of Interest Policy Should a Member breach the Conflict of Interest Policy, they shall advise the Chair and Vice-Chair, with a copy to the Secretary Treasurer, as soon as possible after the breach.

Should a Member of the General Membership allege that another Member has breached the Code of Conduct, the said breach shall be communicated to the Chair, with a copy to the Secretary Treasurer, in writing. In the absence of the Chair, or if a Member alleges that the Chair

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October 16, 2018, amended Nov 11, 2019, April 2, 2020, August 6, 2020 has breached the Conflict of Interest Policy, the said breach shall be communicated to the Vice- Chair, with a copy to the Secretary-Treasurer, in writing.

Any breach, or alleged breach, of the Conflict of Interest Policy shall be investigated in accordance with the Enforcement of By-laws and Policies procedure outlined or referred to in the Authority’s Administrative By-law.

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October 16, 2018, amended Nov 11, 2019, April 2, 2020, August 6, 2020 Appendix 3 - Procedure for Election of Officers 1. Voting Voting shall be by secret ballot and no Members may vote by proxy. 2. Acting Chair The General Membership shall appoint a person, who is not a voting Member, as Acting Chair or Returning Officer, for the purpose of Election of Officers. 3. Scrutineer(s) The appointment of one or more scrutineers is required for the purpose of counting ballots, should an election be required. All ballots shall be destroyed by the scrutineers afterwards. The Acting Chair shall call a motion for the appointment of one or more persons, who are not Members or employees of the Authority, to act as scrutineers. A Member, who will not stand for election, may be appointed as an additional scrutineer if requested. 4. Election Procedures The Acting Chair shall advise the Members that the election will be conducted in accordance with the Act as follows:

a) The elections shall be conducted in the following order: i. Election of the Chair, who shall be a Member of the Authority ii. Election of one or more Vice-chairs, who shall be Members of the Authority iii. Election of Member-at-Large who shall be a Member of the Authority. b) The Acting Chair shall ask for nominations to each position; c) Only current Members of the Authority who are present may vote; d) Nominations shall be called three (3) times and will only require a mover; e) The closing of nominations shall require both a mover and a seconder; f) Each Member nominated shall be asked to accept the nomination. The Member must be present to accept the nomination unless the Member has advised the Secretary-Treasurer in writing or by email in advance of the election of their willingness to accept the nomination.

If one Nominee: g) If only one nominee, the individual shall be declared into the position by acclamation.

If More than One Nominee:

h) In the event of an election, each nominee shall be permitted not more than three (3) minutes to speak for the office, in the order of the alphabetical listing by surnames. i) Upon the acceptance by nominees to stand for election to the position of office, ballots shall be distributed to the Members by the scrutineers for the purpose of election and the Acting Chair shall ask the Members to write the name of one individual only on the ballot. j) The scrutineers shall collect the ballots, leave the meeting to count the ballots, return and advise the Acting Chair who was elected with more than 50% of the vote.

A majority vote shall be required for election. If there are more than two nominees, and upon the first vote no nominee receives the majority required for election, the name of the person with the least number of votes shall be removed from further consideration for the office and new ballots shall be distributed. In the case of a vote where no nominee receives the majority required for

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October 16, 2018, amended Nov 11, 2019, April 2, 2020, August 6, 2020 election and where two or more nominees are tied with the least number of votes, a special vote shall be taken to decide which one of such tied nominees’ names shall be dropped from the list of names to be voted on in the next vote.

Should there be a tie vote between two remaining candidates, new ballots shall be distributed and a second vote held. Should there still be a tie after the second ballot a third vote shall be held. Should there be a tie after the third vote, the election of the office shall be decided by lot drawn by the Acting Chair or designate.

In the event that the Past Chair of the Authority is no longer an accredited Member on the Authority, an election of a Member–at-Large will be undertaken, following the same procedures as outlined above.

Immediately following the election of Chair and 1st and 2nd Vice Chair, and, if necessary, the Member-at-Large, the person presiding over the election shall install the newly elected Chair and hand over control of the meeting.

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October 16, 2018, amended Nov 11, 2019, April 2, 2020, August 6, 2020 Appendix 4 – Powers of Authorities The Conservation Authorities Act specifies the following: Powers of authorities 21 (1) For the purposes of accomplishing its objects, an authority has power, (a) to study and investigate the watershed and to determine programs and services whereby the natural resources of the watershed may be conserved, restored, developed and managed; (b) for any purpose necessary to any project under consideration or undertaken by the authority, to enter into and upon any land and survey and take levels of it and make such borings or sink such trial pits as the authority considers necessary; (c) to acquire by purchase, lease or otherwise and to expropriate any land that it may require, and, subject to subsection (2), to sell, lease or otherwise dispose of land so acquired; (d) despite subsection (2), to lease for a term of five years or less land acquired by the authority; (e) to purchase or acquire any personal property that it may require and sell or otherwise deal therewith; (f) to enter into agreements for the purchase of materials, employment of labour and other purposes as may be necessary for the due carrying out of any project or to further the authority’s objects; (g) to enter into agreements with owners of private lands to facilitate the due carrying out of any project; (h) to determine the proportion of the total benefit afforded to all the participating municipalities that is afforded to each of them; (i) to erect works and structures and create reservoirs by the construction of dams or otherwise; (j) to control the flow of surface waters in order to prevent floods or pollution or to reduce the adverse effects thereof; (k) to alter the course of any river, canal, brook, stream or watercourse, and divert or alter, as well temporarily as permanently, the course of any river, stream, road, street or way, or raise or sink its level in order to carry it over or under, on the level of or by the side of any work built or to be built by the authority, and to divert or alter the position of any water-pipe, gas-pipe, sewer, drain or any telegraph, telephone or electric wire or pole; (l) to use lands that are owned or controlled by the authority for purposes, not inconsistent with its objects, as it considers proper; (m) to use lands owned or controlled by the authority for park or other recreational purposes, and to erect, or permit to be erected, buildings, booths and facilities for such purposes and to make charges for admission thereto and the use thereof; (m.1) to charge fees for services approved by the Minister;

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October 16, 2018, amended Nov 11, 2019, April 2, 2020, August 6, 2020

Note: On a day to be named by proclamation of the Lieutenant Governor, clause 21 (1) (m.1) of the Act is repealed. (See: 2017, c. 23, Sched. 4, s. 19 (3)) (n) to collaborate and enter into agreements with ministries and agencies of government, municipal councils and local boards and other organizations and individuals; (o) to plant and produce trees on Crown lands with the consent of the Minister, and on other lands with the consent of the owner, for any purpose; (p) to cause research to be done; (q) generally to do all such acts as are necessary for the due carrying out of any project or as may be desirable to further the objects of the authority. R.S.O. 1990, c. C.27, s. 21; 1996, c. 1, Sched. M, s. 44 (1, 2); 1998, c. 18, Sched. I, s. 11; 2017, c. 23, Sched. 4, s. 19 (1, 2, 4, 5).

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October 16, 2018, amended Nov 11, 2019, April 2, 2020, August 6, 2020

These Administration By-Laws were approved by the Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority at its meeting held at Formosa, Ontario, on October 16th, 2018 (Motion #G18-82).

______General Manager/Secretary-Treasurer

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AGENDA

1078 Bruce Road 12, P.O. Box 150, Formosa ON Canada N0G 1W0 Tel 519-367-3040, Fax 519-367-3041, [email protected], www.svca.on.ca

TO: Chair and Authority Members

FROM: Jennifer Stephens, General Manager / Secretary – Treasurer

DATE: July 29, 2020

SUBJECT: Collaboration with the Nuclear Waste Management Organization

PURPOSE: To acquire support for entering into a Service Level Agreement with the Nuclear Waste Management Organization

RECOMMENDATION: THAT staff be directed to enter into a Service Level Agreement with the Nuclear Waste Management Organization

BACKGROUND The Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) is responsible for designing and implementing Canada’s plan for the safe, long-term management of used nuclear fuel, in a manner that protects people and the environment. Canada’s plan calls for used nuclear fuel to be contained and isolated in a deep geological repository located in an area with informed and willing hosts, including local municipalities and Indigenous communities. The long-term management of used nuclear fuel involves its containment and isolation at a repository site in an area with suitable geology. Of the 22 communities that expressed interest in learning more about Canada’s plan and exploring their potential to host it, two remain in the process, the Municipality of South Bruce in Southern Ontario, and the Township of Ignace in Northwestern Ontario. The NWMO expects to select a preferred site by 2023.

ANALYSIS The NWMO has an interest in establishing a Service Level Agreement to obtain environmental data collected by Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority near the potential site in the Municipality of South Bruce and more broadly, across the watershed. The NWMO has identified a need to better understand current stressors on the local environment to effectively create a comprehensive environmental monitoring program. This program will identify future studies and monitoring that will be conducted around the potential repository site and the surrounding region. The program will incorporate monitoring of environmental features including water, plants, and animals. Already, the NWMO has requested a series of datasets and information from SVCA to be used in the design of an environmental monitoring program that is centered on concerns and questions from the community. The NWMO is expected to identify areas where additional monitoring information could

Throughout the month of August, NWMO will be convening several workshops with stakeholders. These workshops are the first step in creating a co-designed program by identifying the key elements of a trustworthy monitoring program. Further, these workshops will be used to initiate dialogue on the level of involvement desired by the community and organizations in the Region. A workshop is scheduled with SVCA Departmental Managers on August 14th, 2020.

COMMUNICATIONS PLAN Since this initiative would be a partnership between the NWMO and SVCA, most communications are likely to be collaborative. It is expected that the Service Level Agreement will outline the parameters by which communications activities would be carried out.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS The Service Level Agreement would outline compensation for SVCA staff time to gather data and where necessary, provide an analysis of this data. Additional tasks, such as participating in workshops and implementing communications activities would also be included in the Agreement.

Approved By:

Jennifer Stephens, General Manager/Secretary-Treasurer AGENDA

1078 Bruce Road 12, P.O. Box 150, Formosa ON Canada N0G 1W0 Tel 519-367-3040, Fax 519-367-3041, [email protected], www.svca.on.ca

TO: Chair and Authority Members

FROM: Donna Lacey, Manager of Forestry and Lands

DATE: July 29, 2020

SUBJECT: Compensation for Seasonal Campers

PURPOSE: To acquire support for compensating seasonal campers because of closures affiliated with COVID-19.

RECOMMENDATION: THAT staff be directed to extend the camping season to October 30, 2020; and

THAT staff arrange for the purchase of fireworks for the Labour Day weekend; and further

THAT staff advise seasonal campers accordingly.

BACKGROUND Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority operates three campgrounds for seasonal and transient campers: Brucedale, Durham, and Saugeen Bluffs. The cost for a seasonal site is either $2,330.00 or $2,650.00, depending on whether it is considered ‘prime’. The 2020 season was to run from April 23 to Thanksgiving Day. Due to COVID-19 related closures, seasonal campers were not able to access their sites until May 22, 2020. The practice at SVCA has been that the full cost of a seasonal site would be required to be paid up until July 1. Therefore, campers accessing their seasonal site in April would pay the same as those registering in late June. A petition was created by a seasonal site camper at Durham Conservation Area in early June 2020 requesting financial compensation for time lost in not being able to access their site between April 23 and May 21. This petition was signed by campers on thirty-six (36) sites at the same campground.

ANALYSIS Some conservation authorities with campgrounds have looked at alternative ways of compensating seasonal campers considering COVID-19 related closures. The Superintendents of the three campgrounds have suggested that SVCA could compensate its seasonal campers by extending the season to October 30, 2020. In addition, there is normally a fireworks display put on at each campground on the Labour Day weekend. The funds for these fireworks are often paid for entirely by fundraising initiated and completed by seasonal campers. As SVCA has not allowed organized activities within the campgrounds to further comply with provincial direction to employ physical distancing and avoid large gatherings, this fundraising has not occurred. Staff propose that the Authority purchase the fireworks for the 2020 display at each of the campgrounds to convey our appreciation for the patience, understanding, and cooperation that the seasonal campers have given both staff and the Authority.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS Since staffing resources were not needed at the beginning of the 2020 camping season, funds remain to compensate staff over the two-week extended season. The fireworks display will cost the Authority approximately $3,200.00. Each campground budget would contribute to the cost of their fireworks display.

Approved By:

Donna Lacey, Manager – Forestry and Lands

Approved By:

Jennifer Stephens, General Manager/Secretary-Treasurer