Pembroke advocates for community’s needs with the Province

City of Pembroke Council and staff have taken several recent opportunities to advocate for our community’s needs with the Province of Ontario.

In December, the City took part in the Eastern Ontario Mayors’ Caucus Day of Advocacy at Queen’s Park. This group represents the separated (single-tier) municipalities of Eastern Ontario. Early this month, the City had a submission in the Provincial pre-budget consultations with the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs, which was held in Pembroke. And, last week, the City attended the Rural Ontario Municipal Association Conference.

These opportunities allow for one-on-one discussions with Provincial ministers, parliamentary assistants, and key staff, which can lead to stronger cases being made right to the decision makers. Often, these efforts are made in collaboration with regional partners such as the County of Renfrew and neighbouring municipalities. 

Themes of the recent advocacy include:

• Predictable and sustainable funding sources for municipalities, especially regarding asset management and aging infrastructure.
• Rising and unpredictable policing costs due to the OPP billing model, court security, prisoner transfer, and growing demands related to mental health, addictions, and homelessness.
• Extraordinary costs of fire apparatus and equipment/rising acquisition costs.
• MPAC assessment.
• Increased per-capita funding for domestic students attending college or university.
• Announced timelines for the stages of four-laning Highway 417/Highway 17 to Pembroke.
• Stagnant subdivision and how to spur development in rural Ontario.
• Fiscal pressures on municipalities due to a broken funding relationship and provincial underfunding of social and housing services.
• Sportsplex funding.

“The Province is a key partner, and it is very important for us to be in front of these key people to provide the reality and pressures of small municipalities such as Pembroke so that voice is brought to the table when the government is making decisions,” says Mayor Ron Gervais. “We will continue to advocate for Pembroke and our region and maintain our great relationship with MPP Denault to help ensure our growth and viability into the future.”