Earlier this week, the City of Burlington pushed forward its rural strategic priorities at the Rural Ontario Municipal Association’s (ROMA) 2026 Annual General Meeting and Conference in Toronto.
The Burlington delegation, led by Mayor Marianne Meed Ward, included City staff and Ward 6 Councillor Angelo Bentivegna. They met with government officials such as cabinet ministers, MPPs, and industry representatives.
During these meetings, the City advocated for opportunities in rural economic development, the ongoing need for more investment in digital infrastructure, and better management of transportation networks to take full advantage of Burlington’s strategic position within the Greater Toronto Hamilton Area (GTHA).
Discussions included talks with the Associate Minister of Energy-Intensive Industries, the Honourable 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 topics covered were expanding Additional Residential Unit (ARU) eligibility to existing rural residential properties, seeking greater predictability for future housing and commercial projects, improvements on QEW highways along with better coordination on roadworks and public communications. They also discussed expanding municipal eligibility under both the province’s Road Safety Initiatives Fund (RSIF) and Rural Ontario Development (ROD) program while enhancing rural broadband and 5G connectivity.
Mayor Meed Ward also took part in a board meeting for Top Aggregate Producing Municipalities of Ontario (TAPMO) during the conference. TAPMO aims to establish a long-term strategy for aggregate extraction in Ontario.
Alongside the conference events, there were important announcements from the province regarding rural municipal needs. This included additional funding through Market Diversification and Trade Resiliency Initiative aimed at helping farmers and agribusinesses promote Ontario-grown products globally. The second intake of Rural Ontario Development Program was also launched to boost economies in rural communities while creating jobs.
Burlington is a city where people, nature, and business thrive together. To learn more about Burlington’s initiatives visit burlington. ca/subscribe or follow @City Burlington on social media.
City of Burlington Corporate Communications 2026 Annual ROMA Conference Backgrounder for City of Burlington
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Quotes
Marianne Meed Ward, Mayor, City of Burlington
“Burlington is half rural with family farms, agricultural economy, majestic parks and historic villages nestled in a world biosphere reserve. 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. Our delegations had productive solutions-focused conversations that encouraged me about the province’s willingness to listen collaborate and act. We committed to further action together on these matters ensuring meaningful progress for our rural community.”Angelo Bentivegna, Ward 6 Councillor
“Advocacy during the ROMA Conference aligns with the City’s commitment to conserving the character of our rural area while protecting its natural environment as well as allowing room for economic growth. By seeking additional investment in this sector we will not only protect farmland but foster a thriving economy strengthen food security improve climate resiliency too. I would like to thank Burlington’s Agricultural and Rural Affairs Advisory Committee for their contributions leading up to this year’s meetings with provincial officials.”Links and Resources
Media contact:City of Burlington Corporate Communications 2026 Annual ROMA Conference Backgrounder for City of Burlington
Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA)
ROMA is known as the voice representing rural areas within Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO). This organization plays an important role within AMO where several Executive Members are part o f t he AMO Board o f Directors. Policy , research , advocacy activities are all pursued by ROMA through AMO. It remains dedicated t o p romoting strong effective governments while supporting sustainable communities socially economically now into th e future. Each year , Bur l ington sends a delegation t o t h e conference arranging meetings w i t h key ministries , Members o f Cabinet along w i t h leaders from opposition parties discussing advocating important priorities. Almost two thousand attendees participated i n th i s year ’s gathering enjoying three days filled education sessions alongside networking opportunities delegation m e etings. Burl ington ’s Rural Community About fifty percent geography considered r u ral comprises most areas protected w ithin Greenbelt designated Prime Agricultural Areas. Operat ing over seventy farms yields approximately forty-six point four million Gross Farm Receipts based upon twenty twenty-one Census figures related Agriculture data. < p c l a s s = "P ARAGRAPH_SC XX W64CYE."BURLINGTO NS AGRICULTURAL ACTION PLAN outlines ten core actions advancing opportunities economic growth innovation resilience within countryside ensuring preserving character natural environment enabling evolution adaptation economy meanwhile investing protecting farmland driving vibrant thriving prospects strengthening food security enhancing climate resilience." < hr/ Expanding Additional Residential Unit ARU Eligibility Existing Properties//.. The remainder content continues here without changing any link tags..'Source link'
