Grey, Bruce, and Owen Sound Delegates Attending Municipal Leaders Conference in Ottawa
Local municipal leaders join more than 2,500 participants at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) Conference to push for support on health care, housing, policing, and more.
Municipal leaders from across Grey and Bruce counties are at the 2025 Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) Conference, taking place at the Rogers Centre in Ottawa and The Westin Ottawa.
The four-day event’s workshops and receptions began Sunday, August 17, and runs through Wednesday, August 20. A tradeshow opened on Sunday afternoon, followed by evening receptions, while program sessions are taking place Monday through Wednesday. The conference wraps up at noon tomorrow.
More than 2,500 participants are expected at the annual event, which brings together representatives from Ontario’s 444 municipalities to meet with provincial decision-makers and discuss local priorities.
The conference program includes over 50 sessions and presentations on housing, municipal finance, economic development, and technology. Keynote speakers this year include Ontario Premier Doug Ford, cabinet ministers, opposition leaders, AMO President Robin Jones, and political journalist Andrew Coyne.
Grey County Focuses on Health, Education, Long-Term Care, and Housing
Grey County will attend four formal delegations at AMO 2025, with health care, education, long-term care, and small business support on the agenda.
On August 18, the County was to meet with the Ministry of Health to discuss base funding for community paramedicine and paramedic services, as well as the complexity of reporting requirements.
Grey currently submits reports to three different provincial bodies — the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Long-Term Care, and Ontario Health — and officials planned to ask the province to align those criteria to reduce administrative burden.
Grey was to join Georgian College Owen Sound’s executive director, Dave Shorey, in a meeting with the Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security. The County says the current provincial funding model does not cover the real cost of delivering college programs in small or rural communities, which are critical to workforce development and regional economic growth.
Grey reps also planned to meet with the Ministry of Long-Term Care to address screening delays for staff, new certification requirements for personal support workers, and the province’s plan to phase out Resident Support Personnel (RSPs).
Redevelopment funding is also on the table: the County is asking for in-progress projects, such as the rebuild of Rockwood Terrace in Durham, to qualify under the new provincial funding model.
Today, Grey will meet with the Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade to push for permanent, long-term funding for its Business Enterprise Centre, which serves as the first point of contact for more than 13,000 local businesses, 99% of which are classified as small businesses.
Housing and homelessness are also a backdrop for Grey’s advocacy at AMO. In January, the County highlighted AMO’s Municipalities Under Pressure report, which warned of “systemic failures” across Ontario’s housing, healthcare, mental health, and justice systems.
Grey County Calls for Federal & Provincial Action on Systemic Failures Fuelling Homelessness Crisis
Grey’s own point-in-time count in 2024 found 375 people experiencing homelessness locally, 253 of them chronically homeless, with a subsidized housing waitlist that grew to 2,230 households. Officials argue that municipalities cannot solve homelessness without sustained federal and provincial investment, and that short-term shelter funding does not address long-term needs.
Warden Andrea Matrosovs has previously emphasized that Grey “cannot end chronic homelessness without significant contributions from the federal and provincial governments,” and is expected to raise these concerns in Ottawa alongside other rural counties.
Owen Sound’s Delegations
Owen Sound representatives have scheduled meetings with six provincial ministries. Health is a central focus. The City will advocate for expanded access to primary care in North Grey and call for a review of eligibility for rural health funding and incentives.
Officials also plan to raise the administrative burden family doctors face, echoing concerns from local providers about red tape.
On policing, Owen Sound and Hanover are asking for a fair, province-wide mechanism to stabilize rapidly rising municipal policing costs, which have placed heavy strain on local budgets.
The City will also use its time in Ottawa to highlight homelessness in small urban communities. That advocacy comes against the backdrop of Owen Sound council’s September 2024 vote against endorsing AMO’s position on the opioid crisis and harm reduction. A motion by Councillor Jon Farmer to support AMO’s recommendation for supervised safe consumption sites was defeated, with five councillors opposed and Councillor Brock Hamley recused.
Other delegations will focus on regional economic development, including the use of Owen Sound’s harbour in Ontario’s Marine Transportation Strategy and advancing the city’s role in medical isotope production. The City will also highlight the need for long-term rural transit funding and affordable housing investment.
Mayor Ian Boddy emphasized the importance of face-to-face advocacy, stating, “Municipalities can’t tackle these challenges alone. We’re at AMO to work alongside our provincial partners, share our local perspectives, and advocate for action.
Bruce County’s Delegations
Bruce County Warden Luke Charbonneau, Deputy Warden Don Murray, and several councillors will also be in Ottawa. Their delegation meetings will focus on investment in the agri-food supply chain, access to justice services, energy planning, housing, and long-term care.
“The AMO Conference is an important part of our work as a council,” said Charbonneau. “It is our chance to build relationships with provincial representatives and discuss aligning priorities to solve issues across the levels of government together.”
The County also highlighted the broader benefits of attending sessions and networking with municipalities facing similar challenges. “It is so worth the effort to draw attention to what makes Bruce County unique,” Charbonneau said.
Why AMO Matters Locally
While municipalities do not control the outcomes of these meetings, the annual AMO conference provides them with a direct opportunity to advocate for provincial support.
Local officials from Grey, Bruce, and Owen Sound will be using the four days to press for solutions to health care, housing, policing, infrastructure, and economic development challenges in the region.