Owen Sound Delegates Advance Key Priorities at 2025 AMO Conference

The City of Owen Sound advanced several key priorities during very successful discussions with provincial leaders at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario’s annual conference in Ottawa this week. 

Mayor Ian Boddy was joined by Councillor Suneet Kukreja, Councillor Melanie Middlebro’, City Manager Tim Simmonds, and Fire Chief Phil Eagleson to advocate for residents of Owen Sound and the surrounding region. 

Various delegations were also supported by municipal and community partners, including representatives from Grey County, Chatsworth, Georgian Bluffs, Hanover, and Meaford, as well as stakeholders from the Nuclear Innovation Institute and Georgian College.

The City of Owen Sound was granted all six requested delegations, covering a wide range of priorities:

Ministry of Health

• Issue 1: Expanding Rural Primary Care Access
• Issue 2: Eligibility for Rural Health Care Funding

Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation, and Trade

• Issue: Developing Southwestern Ontario’s Isotope Industry

Ministry of Transportation

• Issue 1: Owen Sound Harbour Growth Opportunities
• Issue 2: Sustainable Funding for Public Transit

Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing

• Issue: Small Urban Community Housing Affordability

Ministry of the Solicitor General

• Issue 1: Fairness in Community Police Funding
• Issue 2: Homelessness in Small Urban Communities

Ministry of Red Tape Reduction

• Issue: Reducing Administrative Burden for Rural Physicians

Ministry representatives were open and receptive to the ideas and requests shared during these discussions, which are also an important opportunity for municipalities to build relationships face-to-face and collaborate on intergovernmental priorities. The City will be following up with ministry staff on key action items. 

For more information, please contact Tim Simmonds, City Manager, at 519-376-4440 ext. 1210 or email tsimmonds@owensound.ca

Quotes:

“Attending AMO each year is a vital part of municipal government, giving us the chance to advocate directly for Owen Sound at the provincial level. I’m very pleased with the number of delegations we were granted this year and the positive, productive conversations we had with provincial leaders. These discussions not only allow us to advance key priorities, but also help strengthen the relationships that will support our community well into the future.”

-     Mayor Ian Boddy

Quick Facts:

• The City of Owen Sound is a regional hub for employment, commerce, entertainment, education, health care, and community services. With a core population of 22,732, Owen Sound also provides essential services to 52,460 residents living within a 30-minute drivetime radius, and a population of 139,619 living within a 1-hour drivetime radius.
• There are currently no full-time walk-in clinics within 100 kilometres of Owen Sound, forcing residents and visitors to rely on rural emergency departments for urgent care services.
• Georgian College’s Owen Sound campus contributes over $105 million annually to the Grey-Bruce economy and supports 1,300 local jobs while providing accessible, locally relevant education to meet critical workforce needs in health care, construction, advanced manufacturing, energy, mining, human services, transportation, agriculture, and other industries.
• Established in June 2023, the SOIC was founded by the City of Owen Sound, the Nuclear Innovation Institute, the Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council, and the Gamzook'aamin Aakoziwin Partnership between Saugeen Ojibway Nation and Bruce Power, bringing together partners from public, private, First Nations and academic sectors to foster a collaborative and innovation-driven ecosystem.

-30-