Letham new chair of Eastern Wardens Caucus

City of Kawartha Lakes Mayor Andy Letham says he will push for provincial funding for rural broadband expansion and economic development when he sits down with municipal heads and cabinet members at the Rural Ontario Municipalities Association conference in Toronto later this month.

Letham, who was elected chair of the Eastern Ontario Wardens Caucus at its 2019 inaugural meeting last week in Kingston, says the group continues to make rural cell gap and broadband expansion a priority.

“That’s the top priority of our group,” Letham said. “We’ve got verbal commitments of funding from both levels (federal and provincial) of government but we’ve got nothing in writing, so we’re keeping that as a priority until that’s firmed up.”

The wardens’ caucus is a government group representing 13 municipalities from the Kawarthas through to Renfrew and Lanark counties.

Last week’s meeting also allowed for discussion on updating policy toward economic development in eastern Ontario, Letham said.