Taking Ward 11 Priorities to Queen's Park: ROMA Conference Report

I spent the early morning and late night hours of January 18-20 traveling back and forth to Toronto on the GO Train to attend the Rural Ontario Municipal Association Conference, meeting directly with provincial ministers to advance Ward 11 and rural priorities across Hamilton. Councillors Jeff Beattie, Maureen Wilson, and Mike Spadafora joined me on this annual advocacy trip.

Rural Development Grant Expansion

I led discussions with Minister Thompson, the Minister of Rural Affairs, on expanding eligibility for Rural Ontario Development grants. This funding program creates a significant competitive advantage for rural businesses—but only if they're located in eligible postal codes.

Currently, businesses in Glanbrook qualify for provincial funding, while rural businesses in Ancaster or Upper Stoney Creek Mountain—sometimes literally across the road—do not. This arbitrary boundary puts Hamilton rural businesses at a disadvantage compared to businesses in our neighbouring municipalities like West Lincoln, Haldimand, Brant, and Wellington.

I'm advocating to include additional postal codes (L8B, L8J, L8N, L9B, L9G, L9H, and N1R) so all rural businesses in Hamilton can compete on equal footing. We provided Minister Thompson with a color-coded map clearly showing the rural areas and postal codes still ineligible for ROD grants in Hamilton.

Solving this inequity matters for Ward 11's economic future. Rural businesses shouldn't face competitive disadvantages based on which side of an arbitrary postal code line they fall on.

Energy Reliability in Mount Hope

Councillor Beattie led a delegation on ensuring energy reliability in economic growth areas in Hamilton. I highlighted the recurring problems with brownouts in Mount Hope and how that affects our ability to attract or run businesses, especially in the Airport Employment Growth District, to Minister Lecce, the Minister of Energy.

We've been working on this with HydroOne, and they've offered to build a new transformer nearby to meet the growing energy needs of the area. I stressed the need for the Minister to assist in fast-tracking that solution—it's badly needed for business growth and reliability in Ward 11.

International Children's Games 2028

Mike Spadafora led our delegation with local MPP Neil Lumsden, our Minister of Sport, regarding provincial funding support for Hamilton's 2028 International Children's Games bid. Hosting this event could see as many as 2,000 young athletes and their families visit our city to compete.

The City has committed $500,000 conditional on provincial support. The lasting impacts could add a boost upwards of $10 million to our local economy and foster positive images of Hamilton as a return destination for future tourism with these athletes and their families. Rural communities benefit through tourism spending, procurement opportunities, and showcasing what Hamilton offers beyond the urban core.

Building Relationships That Deliver Results

Ministers were engaged, highly supportive, and asking thoughtful questions—a positive sign for continued dialogue and follow-up.

ROMA isn't just a conference. It's where municipal leaders get direct access to the provincial decision-makers who control funding, policy, and approvals that affect your daily lives. These conversations—backed by specific asks, supporting data, and clear rationale—are how we move projects from concept to reality.

I'll continue providing updates as these advocacy efforts progress. This is how the work gets done: showing up, making the case, and building the relationships needed to deliver for Ward 11.