The Municipal Charter for Watershed Security
Introduction
Like many organizations, the Ontario Headwaters Institute is concerned about the Province’s
response to the housing crisis, including changes to Ontario’s development protocols,
environmental safeguards, and legal rights.
We believe that these changes threaten regional watershed security, which we define as a healthy
and resilient watershed that ensures regional ecological integrity, social wellbeing, and economic
vitality.
Threats include diminished and fragmented natural heritage, increased flow from additional
hardened surfaces, more pollution (including from road salt), and impacts from climate change
that include increased temperature and alterations to both the hydrologic cycle and the chemical
composition of precipitation.
Fortunately, the recently-amended Provincial Planning Statement (the PPS) has retained the
requirement of planning authorities to “protect, improve, or restore the quality and quantity of
water by … using the watershed as the ecologically meaningful scale for integrated and long-
term planning, which can be a foundation for considering cumulative impacts of development”.
It also requires them to minimize the potential negative impacts of planning on water, including
cross-jurisdictional and cross-watershed impacts.
To help municipalities better deliver on these and other water-base directives in the PPS, the OHI
has developed a Municipal Charter for Watershed Security.
The Charter contains eight suggested actions that provide a practical and flexible template based
on local priorities and resources, for which municipalities can use the expertise of their own
staff, conservation authorities and other agencies and organizations, and/or and consultants.
Whatever path is chosen, we also recommend that municipalities inform their efforts with
extensive community engagement.
We believe that a municipal charter for watershed security can help any municipality address the
climate, biodiversity, and housing crises while protecting watershed security.
And if you think your watershed would benefit from the adoption of a municipal charter for
watershed security, please reach out to us via andrew@ontarioheadwaters.ca.
See the Charter Here. Make a Donation to the OHI Here.
Project Timeline
Phase II: Release of Final Text; Launch of Increased Outreach – Underway as of November 25, 2024
- OHI releases the final text of the Municipal Charter, as above, and begins outreach to municipalities and First Nations.
Phase I: Issue Draft Charter, Survey and Request for Comments – Complete
September 24 , 2024
OHI releases a draft Charter, solicits comments, and asks people to take a survey.
November 5, 2024
Survey Results show overwhelming support for the draft Charter. Comments include numerous suggested edits and desires to bring the Charter to local councils.
Click Here to See the Survey Results
November 18, 2024
Positive feedback suggests the project has legs and needs more time and resources, especially regarding outreach to municipalities and First Nations. We split it into three phases and cheekily declare efforts to date to be a completed Phase I.