Members of the Western Ontario Wardens’ Caucus (WOWC) recently visited Queen’s Park to discuss important issues facing rural areas.
The caucus reports that Chair Marcus Ryan and a team of 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 that are vital to the region they represent.
This included the Canada-Ontario Partnership to Build, which aims to ensure infrastructure funding helps promote growth in rural and small urban communities. They also discussed the Homelessness Prevention Program to better align funding with how services are delivered in rural areas and support sustainable community services.
In addition, regional transit needs were brought up, including looking into a Regional Rural Transit Authority. This would help provide coordinated and fair transit options while improving access to jobs, healthcare, and education throughout Western Ontario.
Conversations also touched on energy requirements and expanding broadband internet access.
The WOWC represents 15 upper-tier and single-tier municipalities in Southwestern Ontario, serving over 1.6 million residents.
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