PRODUCTIVE MEETING HELD WITH PROVINCIAL MINISTERS REGARDING MUNICIPAL ISSUES
For immediate release: Tuesday, August 24, 2010
DRYDEN – Members of the Board of Directors of the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association have just returned from productive meetings with numerous Ontario Government Ministers. The meetings were held on August 16th in Windsor, Ontario during the Association of Municipalities of Ontario Annual Conference.
Ministers in attendance included:
- Honourable Michael Gravelle, Minister of Northern Development, Mines & Forestry;
- Honourable Linda Jeffrey, Minister of Natural Resources;
- Honourable Jim Bradley, Minister of Municipal Affairs & Housing;
- Honourable Deb Matthews, Minister of Health & Long Term Care;
- Honourable Brad Duguid, Minister of Energy & Infrastructure;
- Honourable Dwight Duncan, Minister of Finance; and,
- Honourable Kathleen Wynne, Minister of Transportation.
“We are very pleased with the number of Ministers who took the time to meet with us to discuss the issues that are of concern to Northwestern Ontario,” says Anne Krassilowsky, NOMA President. “We recognize that every issue is multi-faceted and has an effect on other Government departments and programs. It is vital that everyone at the Cabinet table understands and considers our concerns and challenges when developing Government policies and programs. A perfect example is the Northern Growth Plan, which will impact programs and plans by the Departments of Energy, Transportation, Natural Resources, Aboriginal Affairs, and Finance, as well as Northern Development, Mines and Forestry.”
Numerous issues were discussed during the hour-long meeting including; municipal funding programs, Forest Tenure, the Growth Plan for Northern Ontario, The Far North Act, The Endangered Species Act, energy transmission plans, water and wastewater services, non-urgent patient transportation, and highway improvements. A full copy of the presentation is available at www.noma.on.ca
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