Ministers' Forum and Policy Development Key Parts of Successful Annual Meeting
For immediate release: Monday, April 26, 2010
THUNDER BAY – The Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association Annual Meeting and Conference came to a close on Saturday morning following four days of information sharing and networking among the 182 delegates and guests. The event was held in Marathon, Ontario from Wednesday, April 21 to Saturday, April 24.
One of the highlights of the conference was the Ministers’ Forum on Friday afternoon that featured Hon. Michael Gravelle, Minister of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry, Hon. Kathleen Wynne, Minister of Transportation, and Donna Cansfield, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Transportation and Economic Development were two key areas of discussion during the session.
On Saturday, delegates debated policy resolutions relating to a variety of issues that will form the basis of NOMA’s advocacy activities over the coming months:
• Harmonized Sales Tax
• TransCanada Highway Improvements
• Riding Redistribution
• Electrical Transmission Planning
• NOMA to Intervene in Hydro One Networks Application
• Grants to Municipalities
• Electrical Costs in Northern Ontario
• Non-Urgent Patient Transportation
• Northern Decision Making
• MaRS North
• Government Services in the Northwest
• Endangered Species Act
• Pedestrian Safety Crossing Provincial Highways
President Anne Krassilowsky says, “This year’s conference provided a wide range of speakers and topics that will greatly benefit our members. I was especially pleased with the excellent dialogue during the Ministers’ Forum and I know that all our attendees were listening attentively to the responses given by the Ministers and Parliamentary Assistant.”
NOMA represents the interests of municipalities from the City of Kenora in the west to the Township of Wawa in the east. The organization’s mandate is to consider matters of general interest to the municipalities and to procure enactment of such legislation that may be of advantage to the municipalities in Northwestern Ontario; and to take united action on all matters where the rights of the municipalities may be affected to advance the standards of municipal government through education and discussion and generally to promote their interests.
