My passion For municipal government led me to run for council

Amongst the three levels of governemnt, municipal government is the most practical.

All we do has a direct immediate impact on the daily lives of residents in the community, and the results of what we do are very visible and tangible.

That is why how we achieve our goals and the support we get from the federal and provincial governments is as important as what our goals are.

Late last month, I had the privilege of attending the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) annual conference in Toronto.

The FCM is an advocacy group representing municipalities across Canada. Though it

East Barrhaven Ward Report

Wilson Lo, Councillor

has no formal power, it is the main lobbying group of municipalities and often navigates and negotiates with federal departments on their behalf.

It was an incredibly rewarding four days of workshops, seminars, and study tours around Toronto to discuss evolving issues cities are facing, including infrastructure, housing, and climate change.

Experts including academics and those with theoretical and practical experience in relevant fields spoke on issues like rural connectivity, building great public places, futureproofing agriculture, and food production, and attracting and retaining municipal talent.

Keynote speakers included leaders of the four major federal parties selling us on their vision for Canadian municipalities as well as political analyst David Coletto who offered insight on the temperature of the country and what voters care about right now.

My favourite activities of the conference were the study tours of municipal facilities, new urban communities, and areas of cultural significance, such as the massive redevelopment of the eastern waterfront, including the re-naturalisation of the Don River’s mouth.

I also had the opportunity to reconnect or network with municipal officials from across the country. The activities proved that most cities face the same issues in every municipality—albeit at different orders of magnitude.

Although most cities have challenges unique to them, like Ottawa’s relationship with the federal government, municipalities are Canada’s largest think tank and best generator of innovative ideas to improve the lives of those in our communities.

From metropolises with more than a million people to rural villages with fewer than one hundred and everything in between, we are the foundation of this country.

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