West Grey councillors joined over 2,500 municipal officials at the 2024 Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) conference in Ottawa during the week of August 18, advocating for key local issues.
The conference serves as a platform for municipalities to address challenges, seek provincial support, and collaborate on solutions. For West Grey, top priorities included the rural healthcare crisis, including highlighting the reduction of emergency services at Durham Hospital, and the need for financial assistance to repair aging infrastructure like bridges.
West Grey councillors met with provincial officials, including those from the Ministries of Infrastructure and Health, and engaged in discussions with other municipal leaders.
Mayor Kevin Eccles, who also joined a few Grey County delegations, emphasized the importance of provincial support for maintaining essential services in rural communities.
“We rely on the Province of Ontario to assist communities like ours to ensure our rural municipality can maintain programs and infrastructure to help keep our residents safe and provide the necessary services," he said.
Key themes at the conference included the call for consistent provincial funding, housing and homelessness concerns, economic growth, and safety in the public sector.
