By Mike Renzella
The Haldimand Press
HALDIMAND—Haldimand Mayor Shelley Ann Bentley and other members of Council took part in the annual Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) conference last week, a multi-day event in which rural municipal leaders gather to discuss a pre-selected set of concerns with various Provincial Ministries.
Haldimand sent eight separate delegation requests to various Ministries ahead of the conference, with six of the eight being approved. The first denied delegation request came from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs, pertaining to a solo request made by Bentley inquiring over the status of the County’s MZO request for the potential Nanticoke development.
The second denial was from the MTO, on a request credited to Bentley and Councillors Dan Lawrence, John Metcalfe, and Natalie Stam. They asked for an update on the status of a number of traffic-related concerns, including Caledonia’s Argyle Street Bridge and a potential Highway 6 bypass around Hagersville.
During the conference, Bentley and Stam sat down with a delegation from the Ministry of Agriculture to discuss concerns including carbon tax impacts, inadequate hydro supply for ag operations in Haldimand, and protecting farmland for food production.
Councillor Patrick O’Neill sat with a delegation from the Ministry of Colleges and Universities to discuss promoting curriculum development that supports small-town needs and to advocate for college and university campuses being located in rural communities.
Bentley and O’Neill sat with a delegation from the Ministry of Indigenous Affairs to advocate for the Province to lobby the Federal government to resolve outstanding land claim issues affecting Haldimand, as well as to discuss best practices for reconciliation at a municipal level.
Lastly, Metcalfe sat with a delegation from the Ministry of Long-Term Care to discuss additional beds in local facilities to cut down wait times, and to increase home care and support for local seniors.
County CAO Craig Manley said that ROMA is designed “specifically for small town and rural communities to interact with each other and for the Province to hear firsthand matters relating to municipal issues, advocacy initiatives from the Association of Ontario Municipalities (AMO), and overviews of Provincial initiatives affecting municipalities from the Premier and Cabinet Ministers. ROMA is the rural voice of the AMO. ROMA is committed to promoting, supporting, and enhancing strong and effective rural governments and socially and economically sustainable rural communities, today and into the future.”
ROMA is attended by over 1,500 participants, including council members and senior staff from rural municipalities across Ontario.
Manley said the issues chosen for discussion are “important to the County and directly impact either our operations or opportunities.”
He said the conference is a great opportunity for local leaders to engage in “face to face discussion with key Provincial decision makers, including Ministers and their key staff.”
He continued, “It also allows conversation amongst municipalities to develop consistent messaging on rural issues.”
While he called the conference a good tool for presenting ideas to the Province, Manley asserted that the County’s efforts to be heard continue throughout the whole year: “This is just one vehicle to communicate to the Province and other advocacy approaches through municipal staff, Council members, local MPP, and associations will continue to be pursued.”
