Stratford Mayor Martin Ritsma packed a lot of meetings into a short time at the annual Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) conference.
Ritsma said through a mix of formal meetings and conversations held between arranged time slots, the city’s delegation managed to listen, learn and express their concerns.
Ritsma travelled to Ottawa with city councillors Harj Nijjar, Larry McCabe, Brad Beattie and Geza Wordofa. City of Stratford Corporate Initiatives Lead Emily Robson also attended.
The mayor met with Arun Thangaraj, deputy minister of Transport Canada, to discuss VIA Rail. Ritsma had a chance to rub shoulders outside of the formal set-up, with Minister of Tourism and Culture, Stan Cho, and Rob Flack, Minister of Agriculture.
The mayor said each conversation at AMO is important.
“You quickly understand that whether you are Ottawa or you are Stratford, you have similar problems, just the size is greater.”
Housing, transit, infrastructure and climate change were key topics at the conference.
Those challenges hit the municipalities first, Ritsma said.
Homelessness was another big topic of conversation.
“Not only providing housing for homelessness, but support. We need the province to come on board, there was even a suggestion to have a federal ministry of homelessness.”
Ritsma said the conference, held Aug. 18-21, is worth the trip.
“It’s a lot of time away but it’s an important investment to be at AMO.”
