FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mayor Sendzik and Team STC advocate for local issues at first-ever virtual AMO conference

Aug. 20, 2020 – A delegation from the City of St. Catharines joined municipal leaders from across the province at the first-ever virtual, annual Association of Municipalities of (AMO) conference this week, meeting with provincial ministers and advancing local priorities for the City.

During the three-day conference, which was held virtually from Aug. 17-19 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the St. Catharines delegation was led by Mayor Walter Sendzik and included City Councillors Dawn Dodge, Lori Littleton and Karrie Porter, as well as City of St. Catharines staff. Team STC met with ministers and officials to talk about priorities and challenges for the City of St. Catharines including:

• Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, MPP , to discuss social issues affecting city operations and the community and the opioid crisis.

• Minister for Seniors and Accessibility, MPP , to discuss the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act and efforts to meet compliance standards by 2025.

• Parliamentary Assistant for Natural Resources and Forestry, MPP Mike Harris, to discuss funding challenges for shoreline protection and the need for additional safety enhancements at the provincially owned Decew Falls.

• Minister of Transportation, MPP , to discuss the twinning of the Garden City Skyway, and transit funding.

• Parliamentary Assistant for Municipal Affairs and Housing, MPP Parm Gill, to discuss local needs for affordable housing and emergency shelter services, as well as ministry approval timelines.

• Minister of Infrastructure, MPP Laurie Scott, about investments in local infrastructure and the need for sustainable infrastructure funding to assist with long-term municipal planning.

Mayor Sendzik also participated in several meetings as part of the Niagara Region delegation, addressing issues such as the 2021 Canada Summer Games, regional long-term care home redevelopment projects and supportive housing. He also participated in the MPAC annual meeting.

Congratulations to Coun. Dodge, who was acclaimed as a board member for 2020-2022 on AMO’s Large Urban Caucus. As a member of the board, Coun. Dodge will help set policy for the association.

She participated in a series of meetings throughout the AMO conference as part of her role.

In addition, Coun. Littleton participated in the filming of a segment for the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), as part of its Towards Parity Project, highlighting the City’s efforts with the Seat at the Table program. The video was available for all registrants to watch in the On Demand section of the conference.

“The City of St. Catharines is grateful for the opportunity to discuss critical community issues with the provincial government and find opportunities to work together to resolve those challenges. Team STC was able to connect with ministers and provincial officials about a series of initiatives that we are working to better support our residents, build the economy and continue on the path to making St. Catharines one of the most dynamic, innovative, sustainable and livable cities in North America,” said Mayor Sendzik. “This year’s conference was also an opportunity to thank our provincial government for its investments in our community, including the first round of Safe Restart Agreement funding recently announced to help us mitigate the financial impacts of COVID-19. Thank you to AMO and the provincial officials for this valuable opportunity, allowing municipal governments to continue their efforts to better serve their communities. As we continue down the path of recovery in our community, and the province, we need to ensure we continue to work together.”

AMO is a non-profit organization representing Ontario's 444 municipal governments. The annual AMO conference is an opportunity for municipal officials to work together to address common challenges, to learn through speakers, sessions and workshops, and network with municipal leaders from across the province. This year’s conference was conducted virtually for the first time in the organization’s 120-year history.

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Contact: Mayor Walter Sendzik 905-688-5601 ext. 1540 (office) [email protected]