CLOCA proposes $12.49-million budget with $450,000 for Enniskillen upgrades

Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority’s proposed 2027 budget would raise spending by 3.95% to $12.49 million and include $450,000 for maintenance building upgrades at Enniskillen Conservation Area in Clarington. The board will consider approving the budget Nov. 17, 2026. Staff say it excludes the still-unknown costs of consolidation with Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, in line with provincial direction.

For Clarington, the spending plan also includes updated floodplain mapping for Bowmanville and Soper creeks, scheduled for completion in 2027. Staff propose no increases to user fees, leaving conservation area parking at $7 per day and an annual vehicle pass at $85 under the proposed fee schedule.

The Enniskillen renovation would expand staff office space, create a central meeting area, add universal washrooms with showers and improve lighting, according to the budget documents. The existing two-bay building has an office of less than 200 square feet and one shared washroom. Six permanent employees and up to 10 seasonal staff share its office space.

The mapping project would use $158,200 in Durham Region funding deferred from 2026 and a matching Natural Resources Canada grant. The authority says the existing mapping has become outdated following Highway 407 stream crossings and urban development in the watersheds.

The authority approved $12.01 million in spending for 2026. The proposed operating levy from Durham Region, including Children’s Watershed Festival funding, would rise to $4,975,492 from $4,854,138. Staff built the budget on an assumed Durham Region guideline limiting the operating levy increase to 2.5%.

Chief administrative officer Chris Darling recommends delaying proposed charges for Ontario Provincial Conservation Agency operations until 2028. He says conservation authorities have generally approved their 2027 budgets without allocating money for those charges.