Recently, members of the Western Ontario Wardens’ Caucus (WOWC) visited Queen’s Park to speak up for regional and rural issues.
The Wardens’ Caucus reports that Chair Marcus Ryan, along with a group of other representatives, met with Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Rob Flack, Rural Affairs Minister Lisa Thompson, Acting Minister of Infrastructure Todd Mc Carthy, and Associate Minister of Energy-Intensive Industries Sam Oosterhoff.
During these meetings, the WOWC highlighted three main advocacy priorities for 2026 concerning the region they represent.
This included the Canada-Ontario Partnership to Build to ensure infrastructure funding aids growth in rural areas and small urban communities. They also discussed the Homelessness Prevention Program aimed at better aligning funding with rural service delivery needs while supporting sustainable community-based services.
In addition, they covered regional transit requirements, such as looking into a Regional Rural Transit Authority to promote coordinated and fair transit access to jobs, healthcare, and education throughout Western Ontario.
The conversations also addressed energy needs and expanding broadband internet access.
The WOWC represents 15 upper-tier and single-tier municipalities in Southwestern Ontario, which together serve over 1.6 million residents.
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