THUNDER BAY – At the tail end of every Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association (NOMA) conference, Ontario provincial ministers get to sit in front of their municipal counterparts and formally answer their toughest question in what is informally called: the bear pit.
A few main topics in the “bear pit” mirrored some of the largest concerns discussed at the NOMA conference.
Building affordable housing and maintaining infrastructure needs have been hotly debated at the municipal level as many councils are facing a sheer lack of new housing stock and an aged-out water, sewers, and electrical infrastructure that lacks the sustainability to promote community growth.
Wendy Landry said the Association of Municipalities of Ontario called on Premier Ford to make changes to the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund (OMPF) that would create “a solid foundation for economic growth and quality of life” for municipalities.
She said the OMPF has decreased since 2010 when it was $650 million. Today, the fund has remained static at $500 million for the last five years.
Landry finds the lack of oversight in this program “pits our municipalities against each other where there are winners and losers.”
She asked Calandra: “The OMPF is the province's main general assistance to grant municipalities and the program primarily supports northern rural municipalities across the province. Its objectives are to recognize the challenges of northern rural communities while targeting funding for those communities.
"Over the years, has any thought been given to the increasing of this fund substantially helping you achieve social and economic prosperity for small northern rural municipalities?
“Additionally, will your government commit to undertaking the AMO’s comprehensive social and economic prosperity review to promote, promote the stability and sustainability of our municipal finances across Ontario?"
Calandra said Ontario’s Building Faster Fund and Bill 185 were meant to bridge those gaps the OMPF couldn’t provide. The Ford government has put in place additional funding models that would address infrastructure needs that go beyond sewer and water, but road work and bridge construction.
“We're redirecting how the development charges. For instance, the new $1.8 billion that the premier announced in infrastructure funds dedicated towards Northern Ontario. We'll work together at the AMO board with respect to municipal financing going forward, but also very specifically on some of the very unique challenges that are faced by our northern municipalities,” said Calandra.
Councillor Dan McGrath of Schreiber pointed out that the federal government is directing all municipalities to eliminate chlorine from their wastewater facilities by 2026. By doing so, this could cost Schreiber between one and $2 million.
“Some of our communities are in a zero or negative growth phase at this time and cannot access housing-enabled funding. Our question is how do we maintain existing water wastewater infrastructure in our communities and fulfill regulatory requirements without government assistance?” asked McGrath.
Calandra believes the Ontario government and the federal government shouldn’t be fighting over funding. Simply put, he wants all levels of government to work together to find solutions.
However, he does admit that if there was a fight that needed to be had to get the federal government to recognize the impracticality of what they are downloading onto municipalities and their tax base, it is a fight he is willing to bring to the feds.
Calandra said: “We need infrastructure. We are asking Northern Ontario to participate in ever greater than they ever have before. Your prospect here is what will lead to prosperity in southern Ontario and across the country. And, that's why we've been focused on water and sewage and the other important things like roads and bridges.
“Our infrastructure programs have been focused on that and we have been saying to the federal government, partner with us on the things that we can agree upon because this is what our partners are asking us to do. And, this is why we have said I'm not going to negotiate from Queen's Park on behalf of all 444 municipalities.
"We are doing a team Ontario approach so that we can go back to the federal government and say this is what Ontario's priorities are.”
Calandra said the Ford government has set aside $1.8 billion and the $120 million on sewer and water infrastructure, as well as roads, and bridges. Additionally, $2 billion for schools and hospitals.
“We hear you and we're going fight for you. I know you don't want to hear us fighting with each other. But if we don't, there is so much that you will not have access to,” said Calandra.
