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ROMA conference highlights rural opportunities, Minister Steve Clark offers $28 million to help

Three-day municipal event wraps this afternoon
Premiere Doug Ford~posted to Twiter Jan 23 2022small~edit one~crop
Premier Doug Ford prepares to appear at the ROMA conference via live-stream / Photo from Doug Ford's Twitter page @fordnation

Minister Steve Clark of Municipal Affairs and Housing has pledged “over $28 million” to help municipalities “streamline processes to unlock and fast track new homes” through the ministry’s Municipal Modernization Program.

Clark made the announcement yesterday at the Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) conference.

The goal is for “all hardworking Ontarians” to be able to “find a home that meets their needs and their budget,” in part by “streamlining housing approval processes” within rural municipalities.

Provincial ministers, party leaders, and Premier Doug Ford all made appearances at this year’s conferenc, which concludes today.

Key topics related to rural housing, community safety and well-being, healthcare, climate change, and access to reliable high-speed internet.

The overarching theme was Rural Opportunities, and “ROMA takes pride in promoting, supporting and enhancing strong and effective rural governments,” the association explains on their web site.

Of the 444 municipalities in Ontario about 270 of them have populations of less than 10,000. “Scores more are rural in character,” and when the conference began Monday morning at 8:15 with the playing of our national anthem, close to 1,000 participants were listening.

On Sunday, the on-line information booth opened to participants at 12:30, and delegation meetings took place until 5:00 p.m., including a round-table discussion on housing that included Doug Ford and Steve Clark.

ROMA works closely with the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) to advocate for policies and programs that “will help build thriving rural Ontario communities.”

The entire conference was held on-line, and registered members could sign in and attend various workshops, presentations, and networking events.

What was on the agenda? Soon after O Canada opened the show, Chief Perry Bellegarde had a “fireside chat” with TVO host Nam Kiwanuka about how municipalities should collaborate and build better relations with First Nations.

The talk, entitled “how municipalities can and should work with Indigenous Peoples” was the sole panel focused exclusively on First Nations as the conference moved to issues of housing in rural areas and adapting health and social services “in a post-pandemic environment.”

There were panels on transportation, energy, and the importance of improving internet access for rural residents, “the foundation of rural Ontario’s future,” ROMA predicted.

As this year’s conference is one of the last major gatherings of provincial and municipal leaders before the upcoming provincial election, party leaders were on hand to offer solutions to rural municipalities.

Twitter was ablaze with the leaders’ tips and promises. Premier Ford looks forward to improving “trades programs” and implementing plans to “solve housing issues” in northern communities. “We are here to support our rural municipalities who face unique housing challenges.”

Ford is also “exploring the future” of hydro in Northern Ontario that will benefit Indigenous communities, provide local jobs, and generate “clean, affordable and reliable energy.”

 

“It was great to connect with folks from rural municipalities today,” Andrea Horwath wrote yesterday, “to discuss the challenges facing their communities.”

“Rural Ontario deserves a government that has their back and invests in them,” she observed.

Steven Del Duca, leader of the provincial Liberal Party, presented as well, as did Mike Schreiner, the Green Party leader.

The conference was open to all, although registration was required. ROMA members pay $450 and non-members pay $550, plus GST.

Some of the videos from the panels will be posted to ROMA’s YouTube channel soon. Currently, the channel has updates from Robin Jones, the association’s chair, and highlights from the 2021 conference.

 

 

David Briggs is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of BayToday, a publication of Village Media. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.


David Briggs, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

About the Author: David Briggs, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

David Briggs is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter covering civic and diversity issues for BayToday. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada
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