Intergovernmental Relations Action Plan

Intergovernmental relations are critical to advance and secure the City's funding, policy and legislative priorities. All City divisions engage in a range of informal intergovernmental activities, and this work will be enriched through the strategic approach of the Intergovernmental Relations Action Plan.

Download the Intergovernmental Relations Action Plan

Advocacy Priorities

The Citizen Satisfaction Survey findings identified that some of the most important issues facing Owen Sound today require a concerted, community-wide response and are not the sole purview of one organization or level of government.

It is most effective for municipalities to speak with a united voice on many issues. When advantageous, Owen Sound partners with other municipalities to advance a common agenda with the other levels of government. The City partners with multiple associations to support common priorities, including:

The City's advocacy priorities are:

Social: Affordable Housing, Cost of Living, Homelessness, Physician Recruitment, Health, Public Health, Mental Health, COVID-19, and Climate Action

Office of the Mayor - 2022-07-06 Letter Re Removal of Municipal Councillors Under Prescribed Circumstances .pdf - All Documents

Official Plan - Discussion Paper Housing & Affordability

Owen Sound First in County To Approve Additional Residential Units (ARUs) to Aid in Affordable Housing Efforts

Support for Federal Funding for a Strengthened Freshwater Action Plan – Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiatives

Owen Sound and Georgian Bluffs Dignitaries meet with Minister of Health for Physician Recruitment Support

City's Climate Action Strategy building out Mitigation Plan

Climate Action Strategy | Owen Sound

Owen Sound recognized as a Tree City of the World, one of only 15 in Canada

Funding: Escalating municipal government liability and insurance costs, Sustainable funding to offset the true cost of providing court security, Stable funding for municipalities, and Awarding of grants that align with the municipal budget process and the provision of longer timelines to complete construction work

Pre-Budget Submissions by AMO and AMCTO

Municipal Government Priorities for the 2022 Provincial Election. All Parties

Support for West Grey Resolution – Municipal Insurance Rates

Economic Development: Employment and workforce development and the Development of a Regional Comprehensive Transportation Plan for Georgian Bay and the Bruce Peninsula

Provincial Plan – Connecting the Southwest

Grey County Investment Attraction Strategy

Guelph Owen Sound transportation Schedule Changes to better connect visitors to Owen Sound

Core Activities

The Intergovernmental Relations Action Plan provides a comprehensive approach for improving the coordination and effectiveness of the City’s intergovernmental relations efforts, while building the relationships and partnerships necessary to influence policies and decisions. The core activities of the Action Plan focus on ACE: Advocacy, Collaboration and Education.

  • Advocacy for policy and issue-specific priorities and needs.
  • Collaboration with local and regional partners and municipal networks to build broad support for addressing issues and creating change.
  • Education for policy makers in issues, needs, and community impacts of government policy and programs.

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