Ontario conservation authorities: principles, practice and challenges 50 years later

In 1996, Ontario conservation authorities are 50 years old. This paper reviews the origins and founding principles of the conservation authority programme. After describing recent events in Ontario water management, the six founding principles—watershed jurisdiction, local initiative, a provincial-municipal partnership, coordination and cooperation, a healthy environment required for a healthy economy, and a comprehensive approach—are used to examine the practices of the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA). Conclusions suggest that the six principles were and are sound, although they have been ‘rediscovered’ under new names. The formation of new forms of partnerships and broadening the funding base have been the UTRCA's primary responses to recent developments in Ontario resource management. Given the strong probability of future changes, conservation authorities and all other public and private resource managers must create new ways of delivering an even greater level of service to the public.