Earlier this week I was in Windsor attending the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) conference. The AMO conference is the largest annual municipal gathering in Ontario with over 1,700 municipal leaders in attendance – a great chance to compare notes and share ideas with other mayors from across the province. Ranked ballots, Uber and Airbnb, and preparing for the legalization of marijuana were a few of the hot topics of conversation.
As the Mayor of Kingston and Chair of the Eastern Ontario Mayor’s Caucus, the conference is also a great opportunity for me to meet with provincial ministers and advocate for provincial investment both in Kingston and across the region. One of my key goals was to bring attention to the Third Crossing, critical infrastructure for our community and region. I was able to meet with several government Ministers and leaders of the opposition on the status of the Third Crossing project and how we can prioritize this in Eastern Ontario. In particular, I had some great conversations with the Minister of Transportation and the Minister of Infrastructure and look forward to continuing discussions as the project nears shovel ready status next spring.
I also had an opportunity to talk with several ministers about key city priorities like affordable housing, public transit and economic development funding for businesses in Kingston, and I think that there is great potential for future provincial funding in all of these areas.
By the way, there was one other big topic that came up in almost every conversation with every mayor, provincial minister and other elected officials. The Tragically Hip concert here this Saturday! There’s no doubt all eyes will be on Kingston as we celebrate, show our support and pride as the hometown of the Hip! For full event details please visit www.cityofkingston.ca/HipInKingston