City leaders will be sitting down virtually with provincial ministers and other municipalities.
The annual Rural Ontario Municipal Association Conference is January 25th and 26th, and has been converted to an online event due to the pandemic.
It’s an opportunity for community leaders to speak directly with government officials, and connect with other municipalities that deal with similar rural issues.
Mayor Bill Mauro says he’s looking forward to a meeting with the Health Minister Christine Elliott where they will follow up on an issue he brought up at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario Conference.
“With her, we will be looking to get an update that was submitted some time ago on a crisis centre relative to mental health and addictions,” Mauro explains.
They’ve also set up a meeting with the Parliamentary Assistant to the Infrastructure Minister, which will include talks about the Ontario Capital Infrastructure Fund. The city was previously promised $5.6-million through the fund. Mauro says there are rumours the program will be reviewed, with unknown impacts on Thunder Bay.
“So we’re going to try to get an update on that, as well as, are there any other infrastructure programs potentially coming from the province that might be ruled out in the context of stimulus funding, and the pandemic, and job creation,” Mauro says.
Another meeting lined up is with Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries, Lisa MacLeod. The city is bidding to host the 2024 Ontario Winter Games, and Mauro wants to know if there’s any support available for the bid and for athletes’ travel requirements.
Mauro and two other city representatives will attend the conference.
