Shoreline erosion is still top of mind for Chatham-Kent representatives as they return from the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) meetings this week.
The annual conference gives municipal officials from across Ontario a chance to talk with provincial government staff about issues that affect them locally.
Chatham-Kent CAO Don Shropshire was there and said while his concerns were heard by provincial ministers and representatives, there weren't many promises made. He said the newly elected PC government is still in "listening mode."
"The general answer you're getting is, 'We're still very new to government and we are just trying to put everything together -- We will have to do our research and get back to you,'" Shropshire. "The only thing that was made as a commitment were things they promised in their election platform."
Shropshire said the main goal of the Chatham-Kent delegation was to make sure shoreline erosion was on the province's radar. He said they made sure the government knew how important the issue was to not only Chatham-Kent, but everyone who has property around Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair. The CAO said it will take more than just the provincial and municipal governments to deal with the issue.
"No one has an answer to this right now," Shropshire said. "It's a huge issue and it's a concern to our residents. We are embarking on a number of different things to make sure there is an opportunity to get the best information so people can make informed decisions. We are also looking at ways to protect infrastructure."
Shropshire also wants to work with property owners to make sure they know what options and supports are available to them.
Other key issues for Chatham-Kent that Shropshire addressed at AMO were fibre optic internet and volunteer firefighters. He said the previous government had promised to help fund high-speed fibre internet and local officials are encouraging the new government to keep that in the budget.
He added there were also some discussions on legislation regarding volunteer firefighters.
"We also asked that consideration be given to volunteer firefighters because they play a really important role in complimenting our full-time firefighters," Shropshire said. "We asked for any considerations be made to think about the impact [legislation] might have on them."
