While driving to Ottawa the other day for the Asoscaiton of Municipalities Ontario conference, I found myself reflecting on my first few AMO conferences back in 2003-2006, when I was a “younger” community leader, newly elected to Council at just 19 years old.
Back then, AMO was an incredible opportunity to learn. I attended sessions on everything from municipal governance, infrastructure and planning to community development. It was a place to network with other municipal leaders, exchange ideas and learn from communities across Ontario. For a new councillor, it provided me with a great foundation if you took advantage of the opportunity to listen and learn.
Driving home from AMO this year, I reflected on how that experience has evolved for me.
AMO is still an important place to learn, network and build relationships, but this term our focus has increasingly been on advocacy and getting results for Fort Erie.
This year, our Fort Erie delegation participated in close to 1 dozen meetings, using every opportunity to advocate for our community, highlight the great things happening in Fort Erie, and be clear about where we need the Province’s partnership and support.
Our delegations included meetings with representatives from the Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism; Ministry of Red Tape Reduction; Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming; Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing; Ministry of Infrastructure; Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness; Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development; Ministry of the Solicitor General; and Ministry of Natural Resources.
Just as important were the conversations outside the formal delegation rooms. Throughout the conference, we had opportunities to connect and network with members of the PC, NDP and Liberal caucuses, as well as municipal politicians and staff from communities across Ontario. Those relationships matter. They provide opportunities to share experiences, learn from one another and make sure Fort Erie’s priorities and successes are part of the conversation at Queen’s Park and across the province.
There is something rewarding about looking back at those early AMO conferences and recognizing the progression from attending as a young councillor eager to learn how municipal government works, to now having sat on both sides of the table and this week at the table from provincial decision-makers advocating for the community I am proud to represent.
You never stop learning. But experience allows you to take what you’ve learned, the relationships you’ve built and the knowledge you’ve gained and put it to work for the community.
Another productive AMO with lots of follow us, and another opportunity to keep moving Fort Erie forward.
Read the full detailed media release by the Town of Fort Erie here
Leave a Reply