Mayor driven at good roads conference
Welland senior staff and Mayor Frank Campion will work to raise the city’s profile with provincial officials this week when they attend the Ontario Good Roads Association municipal conference in Toronto.
Campion, CAO Gary Long, city engineer and general manager of infrastructure and development Erik Nickel, and various senior public works managers will talk about Welland’s ongoing projects and its priorities.
The conference started Sunday and runs to Wednesday at the Fairmont Royal York in Toronto, with approximately 2,200 municipal leaders from across Canada and leading thinkers from around the world discussing topics of local, provincial, national and international importance.
“Our government relations strategy is getting results by raising the city’s profile, telling our story about growth and development, and building relationships with provincial decision- makers,” said Campion, in a city news release.
“Having a presence at these municipal conferences is important to ensure we’re capitalizing on opportunities to advocate our position on important policy debates and that we’re staying abreast of the key issues and emerging trends we face in a competitive global economy.”
The city said its officials will meet with the minister of francophone affairs, minister of correctional services and public safety, minister of transportation, the parliamentary assistant to the minister of transportation, policy advisers for the minister of health and long- term care, and MPP Ernie Hardeman, the Tories’ municipal affairs critic.
“The focus of this year’s conference, the Challenge of Change, is very timely and relevant as Welland is changing and evolving as a result of increased growth and economic activity,” said Long.
He said it’s important, that as an organization, the city manages and leads change through innovation, collaborative approaches with residents and key stakeholders, and strategic partnerships with other levels of government.
Nickel said good roads and infrastructure are the backbone of a strong and prosperous community, and essential for continued economic growth in Welland.
“The conference provides a great opportunity to build relationships with provincial partners that will ensure the needs of our roads and infrastructure can continue to be addressed in a sustainable and affordable way,” Nickel said.