The WOWC has provided a submission to the Province of Ontario on Bill 23: Building Homes Faster Act.

There are several proposed changes that align directly with the Western Ontario Workforce Strategy and which can be supported by the WOWC, such as: expediting approvals through no third-party appeals, and as of right zoning to permit up to three residential units per lot.

However, Bill 23 proposes legislative changes that will have significant impacts on all municipalities, as it relates to finance, planning approvals, and environmental matters. As a provider of many services that span local boundaries, upper-tier municipalities are an imperative partner in the solution.

The role of upper-tier municipalities as a body to coordinate County-level services becomes more critical than ever. The County systems and infrastructure which support this growth must still be administered – a role that upper-tier municipalities can continue to fulfill.

Read the complete submission

Thank you to all that attended Growing Your Workforce 2022!

The event was a huge success selling out with 120 attendees, This one day forum brought stakeholders from across Western Ontario together to build solutions to our current workforce issues.  Topics included sharing best practices from employers, rural immigrant attraction, youth retention, the skills continuum and an opportunity to discuss with peers best practices in other communities. 

Presentations from the day are now available on the conference website.

Conference Website

Essex County

• In partnership with SWIFT, Cogeco Connexion has broken ground on a $5.7 million fibre-optic broadband project to bring improved internet connectivity to many more residents located within the Municipality of Leamington and throughout the Town of Kingsville. Servicing more than 100 kilometres of roadway with fibre-optic cabling, the high-speed network will provide 1,812 homes and businesses within the communities of Mount Carmel, Wigle, Blytheswood, Oakland and Staples with access to fast reliable broadband service.

• Cogeco Connexion has also begun construction on a $7 million fibre-to-the-home network to service more than 85 kilometres of roadway with fibre-optic cabling throughout the Town of Essex. Once complete the newly installed network will bring improved high-speed internet access to 1,600 homes and businesses in the communities of Edgars, Gesto, Marshfield, Pleasant Valley, Arner, East Harrow, Ambassador Beach, Levergood Beach, Belcreft Beach, Comet, Seymour Beach and Lypps Beach.

Simcoe County

• Vianet has laid 75 kilometres of fibre-optic cabling throughout the Towns of New Tecumseth, Bradford West Gwillimbury and within the Township of Adjala-Tosorontio to expand high-speed internet service to more than 1,200 homes and businesses located throughout the rural communities of Penville, Rich Hill, Connor, Hockley and Rosemont.

• In addition, Rogers Communications is now offering high-speed internet service to more than 400 homes and businesses in Clearview Township, as the service provider has completed the construction of a 15 kilometre fibre-optic network to bring greater connectivity to the community of New Lowell.

Huron County

• Wightman Telecom has completed the construction of a fibre-optic network in the municipality of Howick to provide more than 690 homes and businesses throughout the communities of Wroxeter, Gorrie and Fordwich with access to high-speed internet services.



• Hay Communications is now offering high-speed internet access to an additional 240 homes and businesses in the municipality of South Huron, as the service provider completed the construction of a fibre-optic network to bring greater connectivity to the communities of Thames Road, Lumley, Hurondale and surrounding rural areas.

View the press releases

County of Huron builds ‘Missing Middle’ housing in Goderich

The County of Huron is currently in the construction phase of developing two triplexes on Bennett Street, in Goderich. These triplexes are an example of “Missing Middle” housing.

Missing Middle housing refers to housing options in the middle of the housing spectrum. This range of housing options can include duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, rowhouses, and similar forms of housing. In the past, County-owned housing has been primarily either apartment buildings or single detached dwellings.

The units are being developed after a fire damaged a single-detached home on the property in 2020. This event provided an opportunity to redevelop the site and the neighbouring property at a higher density. The six new one-bedroom units are smaller in size than the previous single-detached homes. This means the units better align with the current need for housing in Goderich, which is for more for single bedroom units.

County of Huron developing more affordable housing in Goderich.

The County of Huron is taking action to address the need for more affordable housing units locally. Huron County Council has approved a development project for a 39-unit apartment to be located on Gibbons Street, in Goderich. This development will fill a much-needed gap in Huron County’s housing inventory. It will offer a range of one-bedroom units including affordable, rent-geared-to-income (RGI), and supported units.

Learn more about actions underway to address and prevent homelessness in Huron County

Help Us Help You!

Workforce Attraction and Retention Employer Toolkit Survey

We know first-hand that business owners face persistent challenges in today’s labour market. The biggest challenges include recruiting and retaining top talent.

That’s why Meredith Forget from Perth County and Joani Gerber from InvestStratford have partnered with HRP4B to create a comprehensive online toolkit that's designed to tackle these challenges!

The Workplace Attraction & Retention Employer Toolkit will be a resource that businesses can access to view best practices and tools in:

·    Recruitment

·    Employee Retention

·    Employee Engagement

·    Flexible Job Design

·    Employee Housing Initiatives

·    Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Shared on an easy-to-use platform, the toolkit will serve as a reference and instructional guide to successfully implement programming.

To develop the BEST toolkit possible, we need your help!

Do you have a business practice that has proven to be successful? We’d love to hear from you! Complete a 5-minute survey to share your expertise and insight!

What's in it for you?

Businesses who complete the survey and participate in this initiative will be featured in the online Workplace Attraction & Retention Employer Toolkit, have their best practices highlighted, have full access to all its content, and be the first to be notified about the toolkits release!



Take the survey

ROMA Elections Notice

Please be advised that in accordance with the Rural Ontario Municipal Association’s Policies and Procedures, nominations for Zone Representatives to the 2023 – 2027 ROMA Board are being accepted until Friday, December 23, 2022. One (1) representative will be elected for each of the ten (10) zones. The term of the ROMA Board is four years. Candidates reflecting Ontario’s diversity are encouraged to seek election to the ROMA Board.

The 2023 - 2027 ROMA Board of Directors nomination package contains:

•   A summary of the qualifications to serve on the ROMA Board of Directors;

•   A sample Council resolution;

•   An estimate of the annual time commitment required to serve on the ROMA Board and information regarding reimbursement of expenses; and

•   Nomination Form.

The election will take place on Monday, January 23, 2023 at the 2023 Annual Conference. The conference is January 22 – January 24, 2023, Sheraton Hotel, 123 Queen Street West, Toronto, Ontario.

In the event the conference is held virtually due to public health restrictions, conference delegates will vote through electronic means.

Submission

A completed Nomination Form and supporting material (i.e., Council or Committee of the Whole resolution of support) must be received no later than 12:00 p.m. on Friday, December 23, 2022. Nominations will not be accepted beyond that date.

Please forward a completed Nomination Form to the Association via email [email protected] or fax at 416-971-6191 or mail to the attention of Brian Rosborough, Executive Director. Scans and photographic images of documents are acceptable. All candidates will be contacted to confirm receipt of their nomination.

ROMA’s Chief Returning Officer, Peter Fay, will review and certify the nomination. A Nominations Report will be issued to the membership in advance of the conference. Information regarding the elections process will be sent at that time.

If you have any questions regarding this information, please contact

Brian Rosborough, Executive Director at 416-971-9856, ext. 362, e-mail [email protected] or Adam Garcia, Manager, Executive Office, 416-971-9856, ext. 356, email [email protected]

Wellington County Chief Administrative Officer, Scott Wilson, was recognized by the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario (ACO) with the 2022 Carlos Ventin Award for Municipal Heritage Leadership.

The Carlos Ventin Award for Municipal Heritage Leadership recognizes elected municipal leaders, municipal staff and appointed representatives who have championed the rehabilitation and/or adaptive reuse of public heritage buildings in their community.

The Wellington County library system includes five Carnegie libraries. These historic libraries have been completely restored and adapted while preserving the architectural integrity and heritage of the buildings.

Watch the ACO released video announcing Scott’s win