Northern Issues put forward to Provincial leaaders
Friday, August 26, 2011
THUNDER BAY – Board members for the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association (NOMA) have just returned from the Annual Conference of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario in London, Ontario. During the conference, NOMA had the opportunity to meet with four Provincial Ministers, Progressive Conservative Deputy Leader, Christine Elliott, and NDP Leader, Andrea Horwath to advocate on behalf of its member municipalities.
NOMA President Ron Nelson says, “Our meeting with the Ministers of Municipal Affairs & Housing, Northern Development & Mines, Transportation, and Natural Resources was very positive. NOMA raised a number of vital issues, including: the need for expanded municipal funding through the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund; the dire need for a new, predictable and permanent fund for municipal roads and bridges; the ongoing challenge of physician recruitment and non-urgent patient transportation; a request for a commitment to retain the Grow North Plan and to continue the Regional Economic Development Zones Pilot Projects; and, our numerous recommendations to address energy transmission, pricing and supply challenges across the Northwest.”
NOMA also collaborated with the Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities (FONOM) to host a hospitality suite themed “More Power To Us” that provided information about our energy transmission, pricing and supply challenges. The event was attended by over 400 delegates from across the Province including the Minister of Energy, Brad Duguid.
NOMA represents the interests of municipalities from Kenora and Rainy River in the west to Hornepayne and Wawa in the east. It provides leadership in advocating regional interests to all orders of government and other organizations.
The full presentation is available here
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