YOUR MONTHLY NEWS & UPDATES | |
Western Ontario Wardens’ Caucus
Advances Key Municipal Priorities at ROMA 2026
| | |
The Western Ontario Wardens' Caucus had a strong presence at the 2026 Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) conference, engaging with provincial leaders to advance priorities that strengthen communities across Western Ontario. The conference provided a platform for WOWC to share municipal perspectives, address pressing challenges, and explore collaborative solutions with provincial partners.
WOWC met with Parliamentary Assistant Silvia Gualtieri (Ministry of Solicitor General) to discuss challenges with Vulnerable Sector Checks, and Associate Minister Sam Oosterhoff (Ministry of Energy and Mines) to discuss broadband and cellular infrastructure priorities for Southwestern Ontario. In addition, WOWC met with Hydro One staff to explore opportunities for ongoing collaboration on regional infrastructure and energy initiatives.
A highlight of ROMA 2026 was the Powering Ontario’s Economic Engine After-Hours Reception, hosted by WOWC and sponsored by Bruce Power and the Nuclear Innovation Institute. The event brought together municipal and regional leaders, Ministers and Members of Provincial Parliament (MPP), to exchange ideas on building stronger communities, strengthening infrastructure, and supporting workforce growth across Western Ontario.
| |
Western Ontario Wardens’ Caucus Announces
Warden Marcus Ryan as New Chair
| | | The Western Ontario Wardens’ Caucus (WOWC) has elected Warden Marcus Ryan of Oxford County as Chair for a one-year term, effective January 9, 2026.
The announcement was made following the organization’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), where additional officers were also appointed. Warden Kevin Marriott of Lambton County was elected as Vice-Chair, Ben Addley CAO of Oxford County will serve as Secretary, and Sonya Pritchard, CAO of Dufferin County, will hold the office of Treasurer.
Warden Andrea Matrosovs from Grey County will serve as Chair of the Western Ontario Municipal Conference for 2026.
In addition to the Board leadership, Mayor Jim Ginn of Central Huron, was named Chair of the WOWC Economic Development Sub-Committee. The committee includes sitting and past Wardens, with support from WOWC member CAOs, regional partners, and economic development specialists.
| | Ontario Investing Over $62 Million for Critical Water Infrastructure in Five Municipalities across Elgin County | | |
On January 21st Hon. Rob Flack announced the Ontario government is investing just over $61 million to build, expand and rehabilitate water infrastructure in five municipalities across Elgin County. The funding comes from the province’s Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program’s Health and Safety Water Stream (MHIP-HSWS), which has increased by $700 million for a total of $875 million to support access to safe drinking water, housing, job creation, and protection for communities in the event of extreme weather events.
The MHIP-HSWS funding will be used for the following projects:
- The Town of Aylmer will receive $7,208,750 for the installation of headworks and fixed bed biological media system for the sanitary treatment lagoons.
- The Municipality of Central Elgin will receive $9,307,500 for flood mitigation in Port Stanley.
- The Municipality of Dutton-Dunwich will receive $4,735,875 for a wastewater treatment plant and pump station 1 upgrades
- The Township of Malahide will receive $15,330,000 for rehabilitation of the Port Burwell secondary main.
- The Township of Southwold will receive $24,685,041 for upgrade and expansion of a wastewater treatment plant.
| |
Ontario Opens Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment Hub in Dufferin County
| | |
The Ontario government is expanding access to high-quality mental health and addictions care with the launch of a new Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hub in Orangeville. This is part of the province’s almost $550 million investment to open 28 HART Hubs across Ontario to protect the safety of children and families, while improving access to recovery and treatment services for people facing housing instability, mental health and substance use challenges.
HART Hubs connect people to a range of comprehensive treatment and recovery services such as primary care, mental health services, addictions care, social services and employment support.
The HART Hub, operated by Services and Housing In the Province (SHIP), is now operational and delivering services through a collaborative network of clinical, social service and care providers working together to connect people with the supports they need, when they need them.
Together, these partners deliver services tailored to the needs of the community, such as:
- Primary care
- Mental health services (including Dialectical Behavioural Therapy and Counselling)
- Addictions services
- Case management for employment services
- Case management for mental health and addiction services
- Basic needs support (food and hygiene products)
- Transitional beds
- Supportive housing services
| | Grey County receives age-friendly community recognition | | |
Grey County is proud to be recognized by the Ontario Government as an age-friendly community. Grey County was one of multiple communities presented with the designation at a special ceremony hosted by the Ontario Ministry for Seniors and Accessibility on Sunday, January 18 at the Sheraton Centre in Toronto.
Grey County Warden Andrea Matrosovs attended the ceremony which coincided with the annual ROMA conference.
Grey County is part of the Ontario Age-Friendly Communities Network and a member of the World Health Organization’s Global Age-Friendly Network. In addition to hosting the Grey County Age-Friendly Communities Committee, Grey County leads the administration of the local Joint Municipal Accessibility Advisory Committee.
Grey County launched its first Age-Friendly Communities Strategy and Action Plan in 2021 and continues to implement the action plan. A progress report on the action plan will be presented to Grey County Council later this year. The plan focuses on eight dimensions of an age-friendly community to support residents of all ages and helps create livable communities.
| | Stretching Resources: How Rural Governments Are Adapting to New Demands | | |
Rural local governments in Ontario have traditionally provided essential services to their communities, however, over the past 30 years, policy changes have significantly increased their responsibilities.
The Connecting the Dots initiative is excited to share a research summary about the challenges facing rural municipalities - Do More, With Less: The Realities of Local Government in Rural Ontario. The summary highlights the impact of New Public Management reforms and how rural governments are coping with limited resources while facing growing demands.
The research was conducted by Ryan Gibson and John Dale and published in Canadian Geographies.
The research explores:
• The key policy changes that have increased responsibilities for rural local governments
• The financial and staffing challenges facing rural municipalities
• How rural governments are innovating through partnerships and collaboration to deliver services
This summary has been created through the Connecting the Dots initiative at the University of Guelph, supported by the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance. To view more research summaries or learn about the initiative visit the link below
| | Ontario Investing to Protect Rural Communities | |
As part of its plan to protect Ontario, the government is launching the second intake of the Rural Ontario Development Program, a $20 million investment to strengthen the economies of rural communities, build infrastructure and keep workers on the job. The announcement was made at the 2026 annual Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) conference, with applications opening immediately for rural municipalities, businesses, Indigenous groups and not-for-profit organizations.
The government also announced an additional $700 million to help 127 municipalities and First Nations communities upgrade and expand aging water infrastructure across the province. The funding comes from the province’s Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program (MHIP), which was increased to a total of $4 billion last year to support the province’s goal of getting more shovels in the ground and homes built across Ontario. The funding will flow to recipients through MHIP’s Health and Safety Water Stream (HSWS), which now totals $875 million of the total $4 billion MHIP. Funding will support access to safe drinking water, housing, job creation and protection for communities in the event of extreme weather events.
| | Call to Action: Advocate for Rural Ontario's Future | | |
Canada’s shared prosperity is closely tied to the strength, resilience, and long-term sustainability of its rural communities. While the challenges facing rural regions are well documented, the real opportunity lies in turning strategy into action—and that moment is now. Your voice matters.
On December 15, the Honourable Buckley Belanger, Secretary of State (Rural Development), announced the launch of a national public consultation to help shape a new Rural Development Action Plan for Canada. This process gives rural communities, organizations, and partners a direct opportunity to influence federal policy, funding approaches, and how programs are designed and delivered.
The Action Plan is intended to:
- Make federal initiatives more inclusive of rural people and communities
- Improve program design and delivery so they reflect rural realities
- Strengthen engagement and collaboration with rural stakeholders
The consultation is open from December 15, 2025, to February 6, 2026.
You can access the consultation here
At the same time, FedDev Ontario announced a 15% funding reduction for the 37 Community Futures offices serving Southern Ontario, with contracts renewed for just one year. In contrast, FedDev also announced an investment of more than $6 million in downtown Toronto. This disparity underscores the growing imbalance between urban and rural investment and highlights why strong, coordinated rural advocacy is more important than ever.
This consultation is a chance to collectively push for:
- Sustainable, predictable long-term funding for rural service delivery
- Fair and balanced regional investment across Ontario and Canada
- Policies that recognize the economic, workforce, and community contributions of rural regions
| | | | |
