With thousands of local government leaders gathering in Ottawa this month for the annual Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference, Grey County Warden Andrea Matrosovs is ready to advocate for regional priorities on a provincial level.
The event takes place from August 16 to 19 and acts as an essential meeting point where municipal officials collaborate with federal and provincial policymakers to tackle urgent community issues and explore new opportunities.
This year’s busy agenda features Ontario Premier Doug Ford, AMO President Robin Jones, Lieutenant Governor Edith Dumont, and Federation of Canadian Municipalities President Tim Tierney, leading discussions on important topics such as resilient infrastructure, municipal finance, local governance, emergency preparedness, Indigenous reconciliation, modernization through artificial intelligence, and regional economic development.
In addition to the overall conference activities, Warden Matrosovs and the Grey County team are making the most of their access to provincial decision-makers through two focused ministerial delegations. Their first important meeting is set with the Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security to push for sustainable funding support for rural-focused higher education institutions like Georgian College in Owen Sound. This campus plays a key role in regional workforce development by training specialists in skilled trades, healthcare, clean energy, and marine transportation. Continued provincial investment is crucial for long-term prosperity in the region.
In their second scheduled delegation, County representatives will meet with the Ministry of Education to discuss pressing local challenges within the child care sector under the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care program. Grey County is urging the province to approve more CWELCC-funded spaces to help ease significant shortages and expand licensed child care options for families across the area. Additionally, they will ask the Ministry to update current income thresholds that dictate fee subsidies so that hardworking middle-income families earning below the local living wage can get much-needed financial assistance.
Alongside these primary advocacy efforts, Warden Matrosovs will also take part in high-level strategic talks and events through her involvement with the Western Ontario Wardens Caucus and the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative. This reinforces Grey County’s unified voice at the national capital.
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