Region of Waterloo well represented at 2020 AMO Conference

Waterloo Region – The Regional chair and nine Regional Councillors will virtually join more than 1,000 participants in the Association of Municipalities of Ontario's 2020 AMO Conference from Monday, August 17 to Wednesday, August 19.

The 2020 AMO Conference will be Canada’s most comprehensive gathering of government leaders since the global pandemic began, and for the first time in its history, the 121-year-old organization will deliver its entire program online.

Ontario’s largest municipal conference will once again bring together municipal, provincial and federal officials to work collectively to overcome municipal challenges and plan for the future – despite the challenges brought on by COVID-19.

Keynote presenters include Ontario Premier Doug Ford and key ministers, NDP Leader Andrea Horwath (Leader of the Official Opposition), new Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca, Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner, and AMO President Jamie McGarvey.

The annual conference is a chance for municipal officials to discuss and move forward on shared challenges, to learn, and to create new opportunities that can benefit their communities. In addition to the conference program, municipal staff and officials will take part in virtual meetings with provincial ministries.

Region of Waterloo elected officials will be meeting with the:

• Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks;
• Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade;
• Minister of Health;
• Minister of Transportation;
• Minister of Education;
• Chair of the Treasury Board;
• Parliamentary Assistants to Municipal Affairs and Housing; and Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs; and
• leaders and caucus members of the Green Party of Ontario, Ontario NDP and Ontario Liberal Party.

Key session topics this year include COVID-19, municipal services and economic recovery; long-term care; broadband internet quality and coverage across Ontario; diversity, equality and women in leadership; building strong relationships with Indigenous communities; economic perspectives on immigration and youth retention; climate change; waste management and the transition to full producer responsibility; disruption, data use, and digital governance; the future of 911 service; and much more.

Attendees from Waterloo Regional Council will meet with Ministers to focus on Regional priorities such as:

• Two-Way all-day GO;
• child care services;
• ION Stage 2;
• King Victoria Transit Hub;
• public health and mental health support;
• affordable housing; and
• rural broadband.

Registered media will have access to the entire conference online. Reporters are encouraged to register in advance by contacting Stef Lach at lach@redbrick.ca. Conference news releases, fact sheets and presentations from a number of key speakers will be posted on AMO’s website throughout the duration of the conference at www.amo.on.ca.

AMO is a non-profit organization representing almost all of Ontario’s 444 municipal governments. AMO supports strong and effective municipal government in Ontario and promotes the value of municipal government as a vital and essential component of Ontario and Canada’s political system.

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For more information, please contact:

Bryan Stortz, Director of Corporate Communications, bstortz@regionofwaterloo.ca

Brian Lambie, AMO media contact, 416-729-5425, lambie@redbrick.ca

Follow the conference on Twitter: @AMOPolicy, Hashtag: #AMOConf20