Town of Grimsby Successfully Advocates for Municipal Priorities at the 2023 AMO Conference

August 23, 2023

London, ON – The 2023 Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) conference was held in London, Ontario from August 20-23, 2023. The AMO conference is a yearly event which brings municipalities together to discuss best practices and share industry knowledge, while also allowing municipal representatives and ministries to meet to discuss the municipalities’ strategic priorities, to advocate for local issues, and to discuss program and funding partnerships.

Mayor Jeff Jordan, Councillor Jacob Baradziej, Councillor Veronica Charrois, Councillor Delight Davoli, Councillor Reg Freake, Councillor Lianne Vardy, as well as five representatives from staff attended the conference and participated in six delegations with members of the Provincial Government, advocating for multiple issues on behalf of the Town. The following projects and initiatives were discussed:

• Attraction of the Health Workforce to Smaller Municipalities: The Town reinforced our gratitude for the continued support and construction of the new West Lincoln Memorial Hospital, and commended the Province for making great strides to ensure that health care workers attain the schooling and accreditation they need, and expanding the overall workforce by making it easier for those who want to work to work in Ontario. In addition, the Town also advocated for the attraction of top talent to the WLMH, to ensure we are properly staffed and that the proper care can be delivered to our community.
• Niagara Escarpment Crossing: The Town, alongside the Town of Lincoln and Township of West Lincoln, once again advocated for the creation of a Niagara Escarpment Crossing. Having received approval and Provincial support for an Environmental Assessment (EA), the Ministry asked to be included on the progress, and agreed to consider this project once the Environmental Assessment has been completed.
• Tourism Strategy: The Town of Grimsby is committed to building a strong, vibrant community by ensuring sustainable growth that serves the long-term interest of our economy, businesses, environment, and our residents. As such, the Town plans to develop a tourism strategy to guide and support the growing tourism industry in order to take advantage of the hundreds of thousands of tourists who stop by Grimsby on an annual basis. The Minister agreed to offer guidance and support to the Town as we undertake our first-ever tourism strategy.
• Establishing a Workforce Development & Alignment Group: To help address the workforce development needs, there is a need to align regional and local organizations with employers. The Town of Grimsby advocated for the creation of a Workforce Development and Alliance Group, which would advocate for policies and programs that would develop a highly-skilled talent pipeline to ensure continued economic growth. The Town believes it will be vital to strengthen pathways to success, and to provide opportunities to employees and employers across Ontario.
• Challenges with Infrastructure: The Town of Grimsby thanked the Province for supporting our significant infrastructure projects through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP). In addition, the Town advocated for establishing provincial targets on GHG reductions for community buildings, providing guidance and funding sources to achieve health communities, and offering best practices towards tackling climate change challenges, in the hopes that improved support will increase the success of municipalities in making these transitions. The Province was grateful for our input, and promised to take our considerations under advisement.
• Innovation Park: We are at a turning point in history, where the transformation of the economy towards sustainable moments are imperative. Of course, to make sustainable development possible, in addition to bold government initiatives, it requires good levels of technology and innovation to support this transition. The Town is interested in playing a crucial role in the development of Canada’s leading innovation practices, and spoke with the Province about creating an innovation park in Grimsby.

Overall, the Town of Grimsby had a successful 2023 AMO Conference. Mayor Jordan noted, “Our residents can be sure that we will take every opportunity to advocate for the unique needs of our community. I am grateful for the unity demonstrated by our Council and Staff, along with our municipal partners throughout Niagara. Overall, I feel very optimistic about our discussions”.

The Town’s Chief Administrative Officer, Sarah Kim, added: “Our advocacy efforts with upper levels of government are anchored by our 2023-2026 Strategic Priorities that reflect the collective vision for an innovative, vibrant community where people and the environment matter. While the AMO conference is an excellent opportunity to advocate for community priorities, these discussions happen year-round through our continued collaboration and dialogue with our partners at the Province”.

As information becomes available regarding grants and funding received through the upper levels of government thanks to these advocacy efforts, the Town will share them with the community through our website, social media (Facebook and Instagram) and traditional media channels. The Town’s advocacy program is instrumental in creating positive impacts in the Grimsby community both in the short and long term.

Contact Information:

Sarah Kim
Chief Administrative Officer
cao@grimsby.ca | 905-945-9634