Ontario Construction News staff writer
This year, the City of Burlington took the opportunity at the Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) conference to urge the province on various matters impacting its rural areas, including housing flexibility, transportation, and digital infrastructure.
A delegation from the city led by Mayor Marianne Meed Ward, along with Ward 6 Councillor Angelo Bentivegna and senior staff members, participated in the 2026 ROMA Annual General Meeting and Conference this week. They met with cabinet ministers, MPPs, and industry representatives.
The city reported that conversations were centered around boosting rural economic development, ongoing investment in broadband and 5G connectivity, as well as enhancements to transportation network management to optimize Burlington’s position within the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area.
Meetings included discussions with Associate Minister of Energy-Intensive Industries Sam Oosterhoff, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Matthew Rae, and Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Transportation Hardeep Singh Grewal.
Key issues addressed comprised expanding eligibility for additional residential units on current rural residential properties, increasing predictability for housing and commercial development approvals, and tackling congestion along with infrastructure demands on the QEW. The city also expressed concerns regarding roadwork planning coordination and public communication efforts while seeking to expand municipal eligibility under the province’s Road Safety Initiatives Fund and the Rural Ontario Development program.
Mayor Meed Ward was also involved in a meeting of the Top Aggregate Producing Municipalities of Ontario (TAPMO) board that focuses on creating a long-term provincial strategy for aggregate extraction.
Alongside the conference proceedings, new measures related to rural municipal priorities were announced by the province. These include extra funding through the Market Diversification and Trade Resiliency Initiative aimed at supporting farmers and agribusinesses. There is also a second intake of the Rural Ontario Development Program designed to strengthen rural economies and infrastructure.
“Burlington is half rural with family farms, agricultural economy, majestic parks and historic villages, nestled in a world biosphere reserve,” said Meed Ward. “The ROMA Conference is an invaluable opportunity to learn from other rural leaders and advocate directly to provincial decision-makers on behalf of our rural residents and businesses alike – from infrastructure limitations to traffic mitigation and environmental protection.”
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