West Grey advocates for provincial support at 2024 AMO Conference - August 26, 2024

WEST GREY – Members of West Grey Council joined over 2,500 participants at the annual Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) conference held in Ottawa the week of August 18^th.

The annual conference is an opportunity for municipal officials to present issues facing their communities, seek government support for initiatives, and meet other municipal officials to work together on shared challenges and obstacles, and explore options for collaborative solutions to benefit our communities.

Two major issues were front and centre for West Grey when meeting with provincial officials: the crisis in rural healthcare, and specifically the removal of inpatient beds and reduction of emergency room services at Durham Hospital; as well aging infrastructure (specifically bridges in West Grey) and the associated financial challenges for dealing with these critical capital infrastructure investments.

West Grey Council members had delegations with the Ontario Ministry of Infrastructure, the Ontario Ministry of Health, the Ontario Medical Association, as well as numerous meetings with other municipal leaders and provincial representatives to advocate for the concerns of West Grey citizens. Mayor Eccles also participated in Grey County delegations with the Ministries of Rural Affairs, Transportation, Health, and Natural Resources.

“We rely on the Province of Ontario to assist communities like ours to ensure our rural municipality can maintain programs and infrastructure to help keep our residents safe and provide the necessary services,” said Mayor Kevin Eccles.

Over the course of the conference there were common themes that emerged including the need for consistent and predictable provincial funding for municipalities, housing and homelessness, economic growth, and municipal capacity to support provincial growth targets, as well as discussions on safety and respect in the public sector.

West Grey will continue to engage with provincial and municipal colleagues and advocate for issues that impact West Grey residents throughout the year and looks forward to responses from the province following delegations at this year’s AMO conference.