Chatham-Kent representatives are using this week’s Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) Conference to advocate directly to the Province for greater investment in some of the community’s most pressing challenges, including renovictions, stormwater management, supportive housing, and critical infrastructure.
The Chatham-Kent delegation includes Mayor Darrin Canniff and Councillors Lauren Anderson, Melissa Harrigan, Brock McGregor, Carmen McGregor, Morena McDonald, and Alysson Storey, along with municipal staff supporting meetings and advocacy efforts.
Throughout the conference, the delegation is meeting with provincial ministers and officials to advance Chatham-Kent’s priorities and make the case for a stronger provincial-municipal funding partnership.
“Municipalities are on the front lines of some of the biggest challenges facing Ontario, but we cannot solve them alone,” said Mayor Darrin Canniff. “We are at AMO to make sure Chatham-Kent’s voice is heard and to advocate for the funding and partnerships we need to deliver real solutions. We need to continue working with the Province to bring more investment back to Chatham-Kent and reduce the financial pressure on our local taxpayers.”
A major focus of Chatham-Kent’s advocacy is seeking greater provincial investment in supportive housing, including operating funding needed to provide the staffing, programming and services that help people successfully transition from homelessness to stable housing. Chatham-Kent’s housing plan identifies a target of creating 50 supportive housing units and 392 affordable housing units over 10 years, while forecasts indicate the community will require thousands of additional housing units in the coming decades. Municipal representatives are seeking information and commitments from the Province on funding programs and partnership opportunities that can help accelerate that work.
The Municipality is also advocating for stronger provincial action to protect Ontario’s existing rental housing supply. Chatham-Kent is calling for a province-wide approach to reducing inappropriate renovictions, including stronger verification and enforcement measures and improved protections and supports for tenants who are displaced.
The Municipality is advocating for dedicated and more equitable provincial stormwater funding that recognizes the needs of rural and amalgamated municipalities. Additional investment is particularly important in communities such as Tilbury and Ridgetown, where future housing and community growth are dependent on infrastructure upgrades.
Chatham-Kent is also seeking a $4-million provincial investment toward the Talbot Trail realignment project. Approximately one kilometre of Talbot Trail has been closed since 2019 because of shoreline erosion. The estimated $8-million project would establish a permanent realignment and restore this important transportation connection.
“Our message is that Chatham-Kent is ready to invest and ready to build, but municipalities need sustainable partners,” said Canniff. “Every provincial dollar we can secure for infrastructure, housing, and social services is an investment in the future of Chatham-Kent and helps lessen the burden that would otherwise fall on local property taxpayers.”
Chatham-Kent’s participation at AMO is part of the Municipality’s broader advocacy and government relations strategy, which focuses on building stronger relationships with upper levels of government, identifying funding opportunities and ensuring local priorities are represented in provincial decision-making.
The Municipality will continue advocating beyond the AMO Conference for investments that support community growth, strengthen infrastructure, increase housing options and provide meaningful solutions to homelessness, mental health and addiction.
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Media Contact:
Eric Labadie
Manager, Corporate Communications
Municipality of Chatham-Kent
EricL@chatham-kent.ca
