in Chatsworth, Grey Highlands, Southgate, West Grey
February 13, 2025
In advance of the 44th Ontario general election scheduled for February 27, 2025, the Western Ontario Wardens’ Caucus (WOWC) has released a comprehensive briefing package for election candidates across all major provincial parties.
The briefing package details the regional priorities outlined in the WOWC’s 2025-2027 Strategic Plan — housing, infrastructure, workforce development, and mental health, addictions, and homelessness — along with the WOWC’s requests and recommendations for each priority as well as important statistical data from across rural Western Ontario’s municipalities.
Priority 1: Housing
Housing affordability, particularly in rural areas, continues to remain a strong focus within rural Western Ontario. Given the current housing and rental market, it is crucial to focus on increasing the supply of affordable housing, of all forms, so that all residents regardless of income level have a safe place to call home. The WOWC requests that the Province of Ontario reinstate housing services and the cost of land as eligible development charges (DC) costs.
Together, these changes cost municipalities approximately $4 billion over a 10-year period and will have a material impact on municipalities’ ability to invest in community housing. Without DCs, there is no guarantee that developers would pass along significant savings to homebuyers. The WOWC requests equity for small and rural municipalities regarding housing infrastructure funding, including final details on the Province’s commitment to better assist these communities.
Priority 2: Infrastructure
As Western Ontario continues to be the economic driver of the Province, and more investments are being made in our region, the WOWC’s municipalities require the Province’s support on growth-related infrastructure. The WOWC requires clear communication from the Province of Ontario on the infrastructure build out in Western Ontario, including clarity from the government on what to expect for utility investments, including hydroelectricity, natural gas, water, and wastewater.
Priority 3: Workforce
There has been an ongoing focus for the WOWC over the past few years on workforce retention and expansion. This has been highlighted in the collaborative regional work through the Western Ontario Workforce Strategy. Rural Western Ontario requires provincial funding for rural transportation and childcare, which are both critical factors in helping get people to work. The WOWC requests that the government consult with small and rural municipalities to focus on areas outside of major urban centres and provide more assistance in long-term care and early childhood education.
Priority 4: Mental Health, Addictions and Homelessness
The mental health and addictions epidemic is deeply affecting and impacting the communities in small and rural municipalities, while homelessness continues to increase. Service managers across rural Western Ontario are struggling to respond to the growing need for resources. The WOWC continues to emphasize its request to the Province for an increase in Homelessness Prevention Program (HPP) funding to account for the increased demand in homelessness-related services for small and rural communities.
Regional data from service managers in the WOWC region confirms that housing wait lists, shelter usage, and social assistance clients have all increased significantly between 2018 and 2023. The current financial support is simply not adequate. Rather than have unhoused populations relocate to urban areas for homelessness supports, the WOWC would like to provide these services in its communities and explore solutions to address these concerns in the long term. The WOWC continues to advocate for permanent funding for the Mobile Crisis Response Team (MCRT) programs, through annualized funding and permanently-funded mental health officer positions.
“The WOWC has for many years been the united voice of small and rural municipalities across Western Ontario,” stated WOWC Vice-Chair Kevin Marriott. “Our organization has made significant progress in addressing housing, infrastructure, workforce development, and the critical issues of mental health, addictions and homelessness.”
Vice-Chair Marriott further concluded: “The priorities identified by the WOWC are without a doubt the core issues and recommendations that should be at the forefront of any discussions held with election candidates across rural Western Ontario in the coming weeks — and furthermore should form the basis of future provincial policy priorities for the elected candidates.”
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