Photo submitted by: EOWC
The Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus says it concluded a “highly successful” advocacy day at Queen’s Park, pressing provincial leaders on infrastructure funding, housing, healthcare and regional economic development.
The event brought together municipal representatives from 103 municipalities across eastern Ontario for a full day of meetings with provincial decision-makers, followed by an evening reception attended by cabinet ministers, MPPs and business partners.
Premier Doug Ford and several cabinet ministers, including Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Rob Flack and former municipal affairs minister Steve Clark, were among those who addressed the reception, along with MPPs Stephen Blais, Mike Schreiner and others.
Throughout the day, delegations held 16 formal meetings with ministers, parliamentary assistants and senior provincial staff, covering a broad range of policy areas affecting municipalities in the region.
Those meetings included discussions with ministers responsible for transportation, labour, health, colleges and universities, and municipal affairs, as well as staff from the Premier’s Office and other ministries.
The caucus said the level of engagement reflected growing provincial recognition of eastern Ontario as a key partner in Ontario’s long-term economic strategy.
“Eastern Ontario is not waiting on the sidelines — our municipalities are ready to build, ready to grow, and ready to partner,” said EOWC chair Bonnie Clark.
She said discussions demonstrated a shared interest in advancing practical solutions for housing, infrastructure renewal and economic development.
The caucus used the advocacy day to advance priorities from its 2026 platform, including calls to reinvest the 1.76 per cent municipal share of the HST into local infrastructure and to establish a standardized provincial asset management system.
Other priorities include returning Ontario to a regular property tax reassessment cycle, making community paramedicine funding permanent, supporting the creation of a regulated paramedic college, and advancing the Eastern Ontario Transformation Action Plan.
The group says eastern Ontario offers significant growth potential, citing available land, workforce capacity and coordinated municipal leadership across the region.
“We are grateful to Premier Ford, ministers, MPPs and government staff for their time and collaboration,” Clark added, saying the momentum at Queen’s Park showed a shared commitment to strengthening communities across Ontario.
The EOWC also thanked a number of business and industry partners, including Miranda Water Technologies, Valley Bio/Stone Farms, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, Plaintree Systems, Haliburton Forest, Lodestar Structures, Anchor Concrete, Picton Terminals and the Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority.
The caucus says it will continue working with the province on infrastructure, healthcare access and long-term economic growth across eastern Ontario.
(Written by: Jordan Mercier)
