From August 20 to 23, Norfolk County joined more than 2,000 participants at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario’s 2023 AMO Conference in London Ontario.
The Norfolk County Delegation to this year’s conference included Mayor Amy Martin, Deputy Mayor Linda Vandendriessche, and Chief Administrative Officer Al Meneses. The team met with nine Ontario Ministries on behalf of Norfolk County, and two additional Ontario Ministries jointly with the neighboring municipalities of Haldimand County and Six Nations of the Grand River.
Norfolk County also participated in nine delegations in collaboration with South Central Ontario Region Economic Development Corporation (SCOR EDC) and five delegations with Western Ontario Wardens Caucus (WOWC).
“This conference was a major success for the residents of Norfolk County. Being able to address the needs of our community with officials who can help is a tremendous advantage. We made our voices heard and are ready, willing, and able to work with Provincial officials to meet our goals,” said Mayor Amy Martin. “I was pleased to see Norfolk County’s brand being recognized and commended by members of the Provincial Government, as well as neighbouring municipalities.”
The Delegation met with, among many others, the Ministry of Infrastructure, Ministry of Tourism, Culture, and Sport, the Ministry of OMAFRA (Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs), and Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Development.
Key topics discussed include:
- Affordable housing
- Job creation strategies, additional agri-business expansion, and diversification
- Gas wells, increased power grid requirements, and economic development
- Funding options for municipalities, infrastructure needs, and partnerships
- Investments in skills development related to rural needs and seasonal workers
- Water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure
- Protection of endangered species, shoreline protection measures, and expanded conservation lands within Norfolk
The Association of Municipalities Ontario works to make municipal governments stronger and more effective. AMO represents most of Ontario’s 444 municipal governments to promote the value of municipal government as a vital and essential component of Ontario and Canada’s political system.
For more information on AMO, please visit amo.on.ca/media.
