Conservation Sudbury General Board

Mandate

Conservation Sudbury is one of Ontario’s 36 local watershed management agencies. Unique to Ontario, conservation authorities deliver services and programs to protect and manage impacts on water and other natural resources in partnership with all levels of government, landowners and other stakeholders.

Operating primarily within the City of Greater Sudbury, Conservation Sudbury takes an integrated approach in balancing human, environmental and economic needs in the Vermilion, Wanapitei and Whitefish River watersheds.

The mission is to conserve, manage and restore watersheds in collaboration with partners, stakeholders and citizens.

Conservation Sudbury carries out programs related to:

  • Public safety such as flood forecasting, flood mitigation operations and drought monitoring.
  • Management of authority-owned lands, including the Lake Laurentian Conservation Area.
  • Environmental Education and Recreation.
  • Drinking water source protection, surface water and groundwater monitoring programs.

Natural asset management and stewardship natural hazard management, including the regulation of development on hazardous lands such as floodplains, alterations to shorelines and interference to wetlands.

Membership

The Authority is governed by nine members: four City Councillors and five appointed citizens. As of October 1, 2022, there are two citizen vacancies. Council has submitted a request to the province that membership be changed to four Councillors and three citizens as an exception per Section 14 (1.2) of the Conservation Authorities Act.

Responsibilities

Appointed members are responsible for:

  • Approval of budget, audit and work plan
  • Corporate strategic planning
  • Supporting the mandate and programs of Conservation Sudbury

Time Commitment

The Authority meets at 4:30 p.m. every second Thursday of the month for approximately two hours. These meetings are often suspended for July and August. 

Members also sit on sub-committees, including the Nickel District Conservation Foundation (charity), the Audit and Finance Committee and the Regulation Review Committee. The Foundation meets monthly, Audit and Finance three times yearly, and the Regulation Review meets for hearings when necessary. 
 
The Chair and Vice-Chair are elected from within the Board and serve two-year terms. The Chair works regularly with the General Manager and Secretary-Treasurer.