Conservation authority makes pitch to bring Orillia into the fold

The Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority (LSRCA) has asked Orillia city council to join its organization.

Rob Baldwin, the LSRCA's chief administrative officer, was at this week's city council meeting to explain the benefits of becoming a member. He says doing so would help protect Orillia's watershed.

"We are the data warehouse for the region," he said.

The LSRCA, established in 1951, operates on a budget of $25 million annually and has the equivalent of 100 full-time employees.

It has nine member municipalities, with an 18-member board of directors, and is a "leader in lake ecology and science" across North America. The authority manages 7,000 acres of land and has won numerous awards.

"Protecting and restoring the watershed is certainly one of the tenets on the authority where we strive to protect the lake as well as watershed," Baldwin told council.

The LSRCA, he explained, has one unique mandatory program — the Lake Simcoe Protection Plan, which is funded through municipal agreements.

The organization would like to appoint a member from council to the LSRCA board to participate in the governance and budget decisions for the Lake Simcoe Protection Plan program. The member would have the ability to vote on the budget for the program.

Because the LSRCA receives no direct provincial funding for the Lake Simcoe Protection Plan, one-off grants from the province help offset costs for specific projects, Baldwin explained. The program delivery cost for 2024 is about $2.5 billion, and the LSRCA is asking the city to contribute $68,000.

In return for the city's membership, the authority would provide services and resources for the municipality that include data warehousing, technical expertise, and stormwater management training.

The city would also be able to lean on the LSRCA's technical team, including hydrogeologists and environmental educators. It would also receive staff training for stormwater chloride management, salt management, and silt and erosion control.

The LSRCA can also assist with funding for restoration projects and has access to grants that may not be available to municipalities.

"That potentially brings money to the city to do work," Baldwin said. "We're seen as a valuable partner, specifically for provincial dollar delivery."

Melissa Gowanlock, the manager of communications for the City of Orillia, says council's decision is not being made public at this time and confidential direction was provided.