Earlier this week Mayor Heidi Lorenz and chief administrative officer Scott Lucas attended the annual general meeting and conference of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO).
Held in London, Ont. this year, the conference ran from Aug. 20-23.
“This conference was a great opportunity for us to meet with provincial representatives to discuss local issues,” Mayor Lorenz said. “We also had a chance to listen to interesting and informative speakers, attend workshops, and network with colleagues. As mayor, it was my privilege to represent Gravenhurst at AMO and advocate on behalf of our community.”
At the conference, Mayor Lorenz met provincial representatives regarding housing funding, community paramedicine, and long-term care staffing.
“I want to thank the ministers and their teams for meeting with us. We had some great dialogue about our needs as a community. They listened and I am optimistic that they will look for ways to assist.”
CAO Lucas echoed the mayor’s remarks.
“There were some very frank and meaningful discussions, and we had the opportunity to hear the latest on provincial reform, as well as critical issues including housing supply and affordability, and climate change.”
Speakers at the conference included Premier Doug Ford, members of the provincial cabinet, as well as several other individuals, such as Marit Stiles, the provincial Leader of the Official Opposition. Catherine McKenna, former federal minister of the environment and climate change, served as the conference’s opening keynote speaker.
AMO is comprised of 444 municipalities from across Ontario. In addition to hosting the conference each year, the association provides a variety of other services to support municipalities, including policy development and training.