MacDonald named to new transportation task force

LONDON – On Tuesday, Caroline Mulroney, Ontario Minister of Transportation, announced a locally based transportation task force in southwestern Ontario, which includes Leamington Mayor Hilda MacDonald.

The Southwest Task Force will focus on improving connections between transportation modes such as rail, bus, and local transit services across the region and will ensure that transportation planning is informed by local needs and considerations.

“We’re working to address transportation needs in regions across Ontario and feedback from leaders who live and work in the local community will be essential,” said Mulroney, “The Southwest Task Force will ensure transportation plans for the southwest reflect the diverse voices within the community and help determine the most important transportation needs in the region.”

Establishing a task force was one of more than 40 recommendations set out in Connecting the Southwest: A Draft Transportation Plan for Southwestern Ontario. The task force includes representation from southwestern mayors and Indigenous communities and will meet regularly over the next 12 months.

Through consultation and discussion, the task force will look at ways to improve transportation in the region and present recommendations to the Ontario government.

The members of the task force include London Mayor Ed Holder, Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens, St. Thomas Mayor Joe Preston, Leamington Mayor Hilda MacDonald, Strathroy Mayor Joanne Vanderheyden, Chief of Kettle and Stony Point First Nation Jason Henry, Councillor of Nawash Unceded First Nation Sidney Nadjiwon, Chair of Owen Sound Transportation Marta Leardi-Anderson, and VP of Bluewater Bridge Duty Free Shop, Tania Lee.

“I am honoured to lead this task force, and look forward to collaborating with my colleagues across the region to develop transportation solutions that will better serve not only our individual municipalities, but southern Ontario at large,” said Mayor of London, Ed Holder. “Improving how people get around their communities, how they travel across Ontario, and how they travel to and from work are all absolutely essential components of building a strong post-COVID economy. We are tremendously excited to get moving on this important work.”

“I’m pleased to get started on the exciting work to better connect the economically diverse communities in southwestern Ontario,” added Dilkens. “As our region has grown over the past few years, our transit and transportation networks have just not kept up. Premier Ford and Minister Mulroney have demonstrated that they are aware of the infrastructure needs of our region, but through this Task Force, the government is allowing regional leaders to have a major role in shaping the road ahead.”