As usual, there were no promises, but local politicians had some encouraging meetings last week with provincial officials in the new PC administration.
The annual Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) conference in Ottawa was an opportunity to lobby for policy changes and project funding.
“We were uncertain how the new government would approach some of this, but overall I’m really pleased,” said Wellington Warden Dennis Lever, mayor of Puslinch Township.
Lever had concerns about changes to the growth plan brought in by the Liberals, which imposed new prime agricultural zoning on many rural properties, effectively prohibiting severances.
He met with officials from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, urging them to use “on the ground evidence.”
“They are going to have some working groups to talk about it starting in September,” he said.
Erin Mayor Allan Alls and councillors John Brennan and Jeff Duncan met Ernie Hardeman, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and raised the same issue.
Alls was disappointed the minister said the plan is unlikely to change. He said Hardeman didn’t appear to appreciate how severe the changes are for Erin and Puslinch.
Wellington and Guelph made a joint presentation to agriculture officials, seeking ways to work together on Canada’s Smart Cities Challenge.
Guelph-Wellington is one of only 10 communities in their population category to be awarded $250,000 to develop a bid for a $10 million prize in the program.
The proposal is to build Canada’s first technology-enabled “Circular Food Economy,” increasing access to affordable, nutritious food and treating waste as a resource.
Lever said Perth-Wellington MPP Randy Pettapiece, parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, was excited about supporting the proposal.
Wellington officials also met with the Jeff Yurek, Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry, speaking against the new natural heritage mapping system. Lever said the old system was more accurate.
Erin representatives lobbied Stephen Lecce, parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Infrastructure, for the millions of dollars in grants needed if the town is to move forward with a wastewater system.
“There were no promises of money, but we’re on the horizon for them, and I’m optimistic it will happen,” said Alls. “I hope the meetings will be profitable in the long run – it was one of the best conferences I’ve been to.”
Erin officials also met with Andrea Khanjin, parliamentary assistant to the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.
They urged the ministry to deal quickly with two Part 2 appeals of Erin’s Wastewater Environmental Assessment, which are holding up its completion.
“We think they are frivolous,” said Alls, referring to concerns from Belfountain residents about nutrients that could enter the West Credit River from a treatment plant, and from council candidate Liz Armstrong, who says the study did not adequately consider alternatives.
