Town of Erin council, staff meet provincial leaders at ROMA conference

Date: Jan 26, 2024

Town of Erin council, staff meet provincial leaders at ROMA conference

More than 1,900 representatives from across rural Ontario gathered in Toronto for the annual Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) conference to talk about pressing issues and meet with provincial leaders.

Town of Erin staff and council members attended several symposiums over the course of the conference, hearing from keynote speakers on housing, homelessness, jobs and health care.

The highlight of the trip was a face-to-face meeting between Town staff and council, with the Hon. Kinga Surma, Minister of Infrastructure.

“We all need to work together,” said councillor Bridget Ryan. “Communities, and all levels of government need innovative and immediate solutions for the issues in our rural communities.”

Ryan said that one of the key messages was the importance of engaging people with lived experience on key issues to inform decision-making.

“We can continue to do this right here in Erin,” she said. “We can continue to reach out and to listen to folks who live and work here; consider the issues and respond in a timely way. Change starts with small steps forward.”

Premier Doug Ford gave a speech about the advancements the province is making in economic development and housing, acknowledging that infrastructure needs are keeping many municipalities from accommodating more housing.

He stated that Ontario is investing $400 million annually through the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund and that unused money from the Building Faster Fund will be available to municipalities for housing-enabling infrastructure investments.

Attendees also heard from provincial Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie and NDP leader Marit Stiles.

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