Wellington County was well represented at the 2011 Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) and Ontario Good Roads Association (OGRA) combined conference here recently.
Warden Chris White, the 2010 ROMA chairman, and Paul Johnson, county Operations Manager and 2010 OGRA president, co-hosted numerous events at the conference attended by over 2,200 speakers, delegates, exhibitors and ministry staff.
White introduced Premier Dalton McGuinty on Monday morning. In the opening remarks of his 45 minute presentation, McGuinty commended the County’s Green Legacy Program for planting one million trees and acknowledged the county’s recent recognition from the United Nations.
“To have the premier of Ontario recognize the Green Legacy program at a provincial conference is amazing,” said White. “Our message is spreading and [I hope] the county will inspire other municipalities to start similar programs.”
While at the conference, White lobbied extensively with governing and opposition officials about the need for long-term, sustainable funding for municipal roads and bridges, such as the federal gas tax.
At the annual conference luncheon on March 1, Minister of Transportation Kathleen Wynne and Johnson presented three county employees and one Township of Wellington North employee with long service awards for their 30-plus years of municipal roads experience.
They included:
– Janet McMillan, 41 years;
– Rick Dale, 36 years;
– Maurice Kaye, 36 years; and
– Gary Williamson, from the Township of Wellington North, 30 years.
“It was an honour to serve as 2010 OGRA president and be able to present county and township staff with their long service awards,” said Johnson.
County roads committee chairman Joanne Ross-Zuj, said, “I would like to commend Warden Chris White and Paul Johnson for their outstanding representation and leadership at OGRA and ROMA. They did a fantastic job at the conference and have made the County of Wellington very proud.”
Johnson will remain on the OGRA board of directors as immediate past-president and White will serve as past chair of ROMA. Both have been members of ROMA and OGRA for seven years.
