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Mississippi Mills Council members and staff will join more than 1,700 participants from across the province at the 2024 Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) Conference. The conference is being held in-person, in downtown Toronto, from January 21 to 23, 2024.
Attending this year’s conference are Mayor Christa Lowry, Deputy Mayor Rickey Minnille, Councillor Bev Holmes, Councillor Mary Lou Souter, and Councillor Jane Torrance. Joining them are CAO Ken Kelly and Tiffany MacLaren, Manager of Community and Economic Development.
The 2024 conference theme, Closer to Home, speaks directly to ROMA’s advocacy work over the past year. ROMA Chair Robin Jones will present the Board’s latest research paper, Fill the Gaps Closer to Home, that focuses on solutions to accessing equitable healthcare and related services in rural Ontario.
Key presenters for the 2024 conference include Ontario Premier Doug Ford, Official Opposition leader Marit Stiles, and provincial ministers. Keynote speakers at this year’s event include social entrepreneur Shane Feldman, speaking about the future of work, and award-winning journalist Althia Raj, discussing the impact of polarization on local decision-making.
Concurrent sessions will focus on topics that are top-of-mind in rural communities, like rural housing solutions, local economic development, experiences and solutions for rural and remote homelessness, innovative water and wastewater infrastructure, and attraction and retention of municipal employees.
Mississippi Mills has secured two delegations with Ontario ministries at this year’s conference. The first is on Sunday, January 21 with Minister of Infrastructure, Kinga Surma, regarding 2 Industrial Drive in Almonte, which has been declared surplus to Provincial needs.On Tuesday, January 23, Council and staff will meet with Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Lisa Thompson, on an abattoir feasibility study.
On Monday, January 22, Mayor Christa Lowry will also chair a session – Responding to Gender Based Violence – which aims to explore how rural Municipalities can help make their communities safer.
During the conference, interviews with Mayor Christa Lowry can be accommodated by calling Communications Coordinator Ashley Kulp at 613-256-2064 ext. 208 or email akulp@mississippimills.ca.
About ROMA: ROMA takes pride in promoting, supporting and enhancing strong and effective rural governments. About 270 of Ontario’s 444 municipalities have populations of less than 10,000, while scores more are rural in character. The rural arm of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, ROMA advocates for policies and programs that will help build thriving rural Ontario communities.
