A provincial wide conference that brings high-ranking politicians together is getting local representation. Mayor Steve Black will be at the Association of Municipalities Ontario’s AGM on the city’s behalf. Many high ranking politicians will at the conference, including Premier Kathleen Wynne, NDP Leader Andrea Horwath, and PC Leader Patrick Brown.
Black says he has meetings lined up with the Minister of Northern Development and Mines, Michael Gravelle, and the Minister of Transportation, Steven Del Duca. He says the meeting with Del Duca will focus on the Connecting Link, since the increasing cost means it may not be able to be fully funded through the provincial Connecting Link Program. So, Black says they are going to turn to Del Duca to discuss other modes of provincial, and possibly federal, funding.
On top of that, Black will be taking part in the Northern Ontario Large Urban Mayors meeting. That will include the Mayors from the four biggest cities in the north, and multiple Ministers. Black says the Ring of Fire, transportation, and MPAC assessments are all on the agenda.
Black says the AMO AGM is a way to bring politicians from across the province together, and will help to shed some light on issues facing the north. He says there are a lot of opportunities to talk to different Ministers about issues facing the region as well as Timmins. It kicks off in Windsor on Sunday, and runs through until next Wednesday.