Red Deer Conservation Authority?

I don't have an opinion yet regarding the expansion of QE-II into this ecologically sensitive area but I want to share the information I do receive because I feel this will be an issue for future Council.

I would like to see our river-lands receive a 'special order of protection against development' of any significant kind within a certain distance from those areas but I don't have a complete opinion on this yet.

​I mentioned this last night that Ontario is years ahead of us when it comes to environmental protection of sensitive areas - this must change in Red Deer. We should be leading the way not following decades behind cities in Ontario!

This is something that could be written into a 2026 Municipal Development Plan for our city (the 2013 one, and previously 2008, mentioned at the Forum).

I look at the mess they are making under the CPR Bridge right now and I wonder if Red Deer even cares about its' impact on our environment?

It's time we had a Red Deer Conservation Authority which brings together all of the groups at arms-length from the Municipality and will have a seat at the table when it comes to future planning and development.

We have: Red Deer collaborates with various stakeholders to manage and protect its watersheds:

• Red Deer River Watershed Alliance (RDRWA): This organization works with partners to improve the health of riparian areas across the watershed, including mapping and monitoring efforts to assess and protect wetland and riparian ecosystems. rdrwa.ca
• Red Deer River Naturalists: This local group advocates for the preservation of native vegetation and wildlife habitats within the Red Deer River basin, proposing comprehensive watershed management plans that include the integration of natural features into the city's parks system.

Ontario cities that have conservation authorities.