The Ontario Government enacted legislation, the Clean Water Act, 2006, to protect drinking water at the source as part of an overall commitment to human health and the environment. This legislation provided the basis for the production of locally developed, science-based Source Water Assessment Reports and Source Protection Plans. It also established Conservation Authorities as Source Protection Authorities and created watershed-based Source Protection Areas.
On August 20, 2007 the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, under the authority of the Clean Water Act, 2006 appointed the Chairs for the Source Protection Committees. Subsequently, the Source Protection Authorities appointed representatives from the watershed community to the Source Protection Committees. Representation on the committees varies, depending on local needs. The Mattagami Region Source Protection Committee was formed and was charged with the following three tasks:
- prepare a Terms of Reference for the Mattagami Region Source Protection Committee;
- prepare an Assessment Report for the Mattagami Region Source Protection Area; and
- prepare a Source Protection Plan for the municipal residential drinking water sources in the Mattagami Region Source Protection Area.
The appointment of the Chairs established the start date of a five-year process to complete a Source Protection Plan.
The Mattagami Region Source Protection Committee submitted its Terms of Reference to the Minister of the Environment. The Terms of Reference was approved and posted to the Environmental Bill of Rights Registry on January 19, 2009. The posting of this report triggered the start of a legislated, one-year timeline for the Mattagami Region Source Protection Committee requiring the preparation and completion of an Assessment Report, for the Mattagami Region Source Protection Area.
The Mattagami Region Source Protection Authority submitted the Assessment Report to the Director of the Source Protection Programs Branch. The Assessment Report was approved and posted to the Environmental Bill of Rights Registry on November 30, 2010. Posting the report initiated the start of the timeline for the Mattagami Region Source Protection Committee to start the preparation of a Source Protection Plan, for the Mattagami Region Source Protection Area. The Source Protection Plan was submitted by the Source Protection Authority to the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks on August 20, 2012.
This Source Protection Plan is the culmination of the Mattagami Region Source Protection Committee’s efforts to draft policies ensuring that threats to the City of Timmins drinking water source cease to be, or never become, significant threats.
The Mattagami Region Source Protection Authority submitted a workplan to update the Source Protection Plan and the Assessment Report under section 36 of the Clean Water Act in 2017. The Source Protection Authority received an amended order from the Minister in May 2018. Updates to Mattagami’s Assessment Report and Source Protection Plan under section 36 was submitted to the Province in the fall 2019. The updated Plan was approved by the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks on December 5, 2019.
View the Mattagami Region Source Protection Plan Executive Summary (pdf)