Western Ontario Wardens' Caucus Champions Housing, Mental Health and Workforce Development Initiatives at ROMA 2024

by Bob Montgomery

The Western Ontario Wardens’ Caucus continued to advocate strongly for three critical regional priorities during the Rural Ontario Municipal Association 2024 Conference.

Huron County Warden and WOWC Chair Glen McNeil says close to two thousand delegates from municipalities across the province attended the event in Toronto. The Western Ontario Wardens Caucus members and Huron County delegates had ten delegations with the government and all of the opposition parties. “We advocated very strongly on the critical regional priorities that we have throughout Western Ontario. We highlighted with Minister Clandra the importance of housing. We need more housing as well as workforce development.” McNeil added the two go hand in hand in support of economic growth. McNeil also pointed out that mental health, addiction and homelessness are also closely tied together. “And so we made these delegations to the government, the respective ministries and all of the opposition parties on behalf of the Western Ontario Wardens' Caucus and also Huron County.”

McNeil points out the Western Ontario Wardens' Caucus represents fifteen counties in Western Ontario and that includes three hundred communities and five million people. They also represent 225-thousand businesses in Western Ontario so Western Ontario is an economic force in the province and when they make a delegation to members of the government and the opposition, it is very well received.

McNeil explains when they make a delegation they present their priorities to the government but they don't expect a commitment at that time. “Sometimes the delegations would respond with questions and in other instances and many instances, they would say we absolutely understand where you're coming from and we will consider that in future legislation,” said McNeil. He added, that's what they want, to be a partner with the government.

McNeil says Huron County also made a delegation to Health Minister Sylvia Jones on behalf of Huron Perth Public Health regarding the budget, which he points out is a concern throughout the province.

Glen McNeil, Warden, Huron County, Chair of Western Ontario Wardens' Caucus