Following the recent Ontario provincial budget, a notice went out from Quinte Conservation that they were losing over $300,000 in provincial funding that they had counted on. Half of this was dedicated to parts of the flood management programs and services that Quinte operates. The Board contacted Brad McNevin, CAO of Quinte, and here is what he had to say:Quinte Conservation (and all 36 conservation authorities across Ontario) will be looking to our NGO’s and environmental partners to reach out to their MPP’s to discuss the cuts and provide the provincial government their opinion regarding the 2019 budget.  

At this point, Quinte Conservation does not have specific details regarding what the impacts will be.  Having said this, we have been transparent that our budget for Natural Hazards has been cut by approximately $156, 000.  This transfer payment is important in Quinte Conservation’s delivery of essential services throughout our 6000 square kilometer region.  Some of the program areas related to this funding are:
   • Forecast flooding and issue warnings 
   • Monitor streamflow, rainfall and snow packs 
   • Floodplain mapping 
   • Collectively, manage and operate $2.7 billion in flood infrastructure such as dams and dykes 
   • Provide planning support and advice to the province, municipalities and the federal government to minimize flood impacts 
   • Regulate development activities in floodplains 
   • Contribute to municipal emergency planning and preparedness activities, as well as recovery activities 
   • Inform and educate the public about flooding 
   • Protect, restore, and rehabilitate natural cover that contributes to reducing the impacts of flooding

We will have to look at all of these initiatives with our Board of Directors to determine our next steps.  Sorry that I do not have anything specific to the impacts to Skootamata Lake, Sheldrake Lake and Pringle Lake but hopefully over the next little while we will have an approved strategy to help deal with this shortfall of financial support from the province.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any further questions or comments.

Kind regards,

Brad McNevin
Chief Administrative Officer
Quinte Conservation
bmcnevin@quinteconservation.ca