FORT FRANCES—Town representatives got the chance to speak to cabinet ministers on a variety of topics during the Association of Municipalities of Ontario annual meeting Aug. 20-22 in Ottawa.
Mayor Roy Avis, who attended the conference along with Couns. John Albanese and Rick Wiedenhoeft and CAO Mark McCaig, said Monday the conference “was very informative.”
He noted local delegates met with Natural Resources and Aboriginal Affairs minister David Ramsay to talk about native land claims, as well as Phil McNeely, parliamentary assistant to the minister of transportation, about the condition of Highway 502 and future repairs to the Noden Causeway.
McCaig noted a stretch of Highway 502—36.5 km north of Big Sawmill Lake Road—will be reconstructed starting in 2008.
Mayor Avis also said underwater work will be begin on the Noden Causeway this fall, with a timeline for work on the deck to be determined after that is complete.
They also spoke with Bill Mauro, parliamentary assistant to Northern Development and Mines minister Rick Bartolucci, regarding putting together an application for funding to repair Fifth Street West to grant access to the industrial park here.
“We see it as a primary access point to the industrial park,” said McCaig. “We see the potential for advanced activity within that area with the industries that are going to be subsidiary to the collection and transport of biomass fuels to the biomass facility.
“So they’re aware of that and hopefully we’ll be as successful as we were last time [when the town received $1.3 million for roads back in July].”
Town reps also attended different workshops to learn as much as possible. For example, Mayor Avis attended one on solid waste management and changes to the Municipal Property Assessment Corp. assessment.
As well, they attended speeches by Premier Dalton McGuinty, NDP leader Howard Hampton, and Conservative leader John Tory.
“As we all know, we’re entering into an election Oct. 10 so the speeches were flowered with an election tone,” said Mayor Avis.
McCaig noted the premier delivered some “welcome news” when he committed to uploading Ontario Disability Support Program costs from the municipal to the provincial level.
Delegates also attended a session on climate change, which was “interesting, informative, and, to say the least, shocking.”
“They say the damage done in the last 40 years in the world is greater than 100 years previous,” noted Mayor Avis. “We, as citizens and elected officials, must do our part to address this issue and keep abreast of what happens.”
Delegates also attended speeches by federal Finance minister John Flaherty and provincial Municipal Affairs and Housing minister John Gerretsen while in Ottawa.
“Overall, I thought it was worthwhile attending,” said Mayor Avis.
“I thought it was very worthwhile attending,” echoed Coun. Wiedenhoeft. “It was very interesting.”
Coun. Albanese noted the delegates were a little surprised by the very high level of security in Ottawa due to the presence of the three North American leaders in nearby Montebello, Que. for a summit.
He added the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association (NOMA) made a “fabulous” impression at the AMO conference one of the days, setting up a hospitality suite stocked with regional food like walleye and wild rice.
The 2007 AMO conference drew more than 1,500 municipal leaders and ministers and parliamentary assistants from the provincial and federal governments.
AMO is a non-profit organization representing almost all of Ontario’s 445 municipal governments.
(Fort Frances Times)
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
