Chatham-Kent delegates will be meeting with provincial officials to discuss a number of issues vital to the municipality during the annual Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) Conference August 18 to 21 in Ottawa.
Nine council members, headed by Mayor Darrin Canniff, will attend the event that features more than 20 presentations, speeches by provincial political leaders of three major parties and training for elected representatives.
Among the sessions in which local officials will participate are:
Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services / Issue: Changes to Social Services: Protecting the Most Vulnerable
Ministry of Education / Issue: Supporting Accessible, Affordable, Quality Licensed Child Care
Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport / Issue: Community, Cultural and Recreational Infrastructure Funding
Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks/ Issue: Great Lake Erosion and Climate Change Impacts to Chatham-Kent
Ministry of Natural Resources & Forestry / Issue: Great Lake Erosion and Climate Change Impacts to Chatham-Kent
“It is important that Chatham-Kent provides our perspective on issues that affect our community,” said Mayor Darrin Canniff. “Having face-to-face access to provincial decision-makers is invaluable.”
Seven senior municipal staff will also participate in the conference that has more than 1,900 attendees each year.
“There are particular issues each year which impact Chatham-Kent more directly than others,” said CAO Don Shropshire. “The issues of Great Lake erosion, flooding and funding for infrastructure are of significant interest to us.”
AMO focuses on ensuring that provincial policies and programs respect municipal authority. The organization develops a variety of advocacy positions on all matters that affect Ontario’s municipalities. These positions are in the form of backgrounders, policy updates, reports and submissions.
