Leaders Advocate for Leeds and Grenville Priorities at ROMA 2024

Leeds & Grenville – United Counties of Leeds and Grenville (UCLG) leaders joined participants from 300 municipalities at the 2024 Rural Ontario Municipal Association’s (ROMA) Annual Conference in Toronto, ON, from January 21-23, 2024.

As one of Ontario’s largest municipal gatherings, ROMA provides municipal officials with a chance to participate in workshops, connect with key stakeholders, and build relationships across sectors, all while championing policies and advocating for funding in rural communities. The Chair of ROMA is Counties Council member and Mayor of Westport, Robin Jones.

UCLG leaders met with Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, Deepak Amand; Minister of Education, the Honourable Stephen Lecce; Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Energy, Stephane Sarrazin; Minister of Transportation, the Honourable Prabmeet Sarkaria, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Long-Term Care, John Jordan; and Deputy Premier and Minister of Health,
the Honourable Sylvia Jones.

During their delegations, UCLG leaders addressed local issues and initiatives including:

• Local labour shortages in early childhood education and long-term care;
• Taxpayer costs for Emergency Detour Routes and maintenance along the 1000 Islands Parkway;
• Improving local access to natural gas infrastructure;
• Expanding virtual access for seniors to local family doctors.

Warden Nancy Peckford thanked all members of Counties Council, and UCLG staff, who attended the conference, noting, “We had six delegations that were very well received and moved the dial on a couple of issues; we look forward to seeing what materializes in the next few months.”