Timmins Delegation Attends AMO Conference to Seek Funding

Last week, the Mayor, councillors, and senior City staff from Timmins attended the 2024 Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) Conference in Ottawa. According to an update released by AMO on August 23, the conference had over 3,300 participants. Timmins' delegation aimed to secure increased provincial funding for housing, infrastructure, and recreation.

During the conference, the delegation met with the Honourable Minister Paul Calandra, Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, to present the City’s Housing Action Plan. The focus was on expanding infrastructure for subdivision development. Mayor Michelle Boileau and City staff will continue discussions with Minister Calandra during his visit to Timmins on Tuesday.

The City also met with Parliamentary Assistant Amarjot Sandhu from the Ministry of Infrastructure to discuss funding requirements for municipal infrastructure improvements. The province announced another round of funding for housing-related infrastructure, which could help Timmins build, maintain, or repair core assets needed for new homes.

Additionally, the province introduced a new Community Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Fund aimed at upgrading or building new recreation facilities. The City discussed funding options for a proposed multi-purpose recreation facility with the Honourable Neil Lumsden, Minister of Sport. Design and study costs related to the project could be eligible for this funding.

Mayor Boileau also met with the Honourable Sylvia Jones, Ontario’s Health Minister, as part of the Northern Ontario Large Urban Mayors (NOLUM) delegation. The discussion focused on physician recruitment and retention, with Boileau recommending investments in local healthcare facilities to attract healthcare professionals.