Eastern Ontario Municipal Leaders Bring Unified Voice to Queen’s Park
May 12, 2026
Toronto, ON — The Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus concluded a highly successful advocacy day at Queen’s Park.
The advocacy day culminated in a packed reception attended by municipal leaders, provincial officials, and business partners. The event featured remarks from:
- Premier Doug Ford
- Hon. Rob Flack
- Hon. Steve Clark
- MPP Stephen Blais
- MPP Mike Schreiner
Representing 103 municipalities from across the region, EOWC members participated in a full day of strategic meetings with provincial decision-makers, including 16 meetings with Ministers, Parliamentary Assistants, and Members of Provincial Parliament, reflecting the Province’s continued engagement with eastern Ontario municipalities and the importance of the region’s priorities.
These meetings included Minister Rob Flack (Municipal Affiars and Housing, Minister Lisa Thompson (Rural Affairs), Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria (Transportation), Minister Nolan Quinn (Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security), Minister Michael Kerzner (Solicitor General), Minister David Piccini (Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development), Associate Minister Graydon Smith (Municipal Affairs and Housing), House Leader Steve Clark, Parliamentary Assistant Michelle Cooper (Finance), Parliamentary Assistant Dave Smith (Finance), Parliamentary Assistant Silvia Gualtieri (Solicitor General), Parliamentary Assistant John Jordan (Health), MPP Ted Hsu, as well as staff from the Premier’s Office, Ministry of Red Tape Reduction and the Ministry of Health.
Eastern Ontario is a critical partner in building Ontario’s economic future, and the advocacy day emphasized this fact. Turnout and level of engagement throughout the day was strong, and suggest a growing recognition of Eastern Ontario as a region ready to support housing, infrastructure investment, healthcare innovation, and long-term economic growth.
“Eastern Ontario is not waiting on the sidelines — our municipalities are ready to build, ready to grow, and ready to partner,” said EOWC Bonnie Clark. “Today’s conversations demonstrated that the Province recognizes the importance of working collaboratively with municipalities to deliver meaningful results for communities across Ontario.”
Throughout the day, the EOWC advanced key priorities from its 2026 Queen’s Park advocacy platform, focused on strengthening municipal capacity, modernizing infrastructure investment, and supporting sustainable regional growth.
Key priorities included:
- Reinvesting the 1.76% non-refundable municipal HST portion directly back into municipal infrastructure;
- Establishing a province-wide standardized asset management system to support smarter infrastructure planning and investment decisions;
- Advancing the Eastern Ontario Transformation Action Plan to drive economic competitiveness, workforce development, and regional growth;
- Returning Ontario to a regular property tax reassessment cycle;
- Making community paramedicine funding permanent; and
- Supporting the establishment of a regulated paramedic college in Ontario.
Eastern Ontario offers a unique opportunity for growth, with abundant land, coordinated regional leadership, expanding workforce potential, and municipalities prepared to support provincial priorities.
“We are grateful to Premier Ford, Ministers, MPPs, and government staff for the time, collaboration, and commitment shown throughout the day. The momentum and engagement we experienced at Queen’s Park demonstrates a shared commitment to building stronger communities and a stronger Ontario,” Chair Clark added.
The EOWC also extends sincere thanks to its valued business and community partners— Miranda Water Technologies, Valley Bio/Stone Farms, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, Plaintree Systems, Haliburton Forest, Lodestar Structures and Anchor Concrete, Picton Terminals, and Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority – organizations that reflect the region’s innovation and economic strength.
The EOWC will continue working alongside the Province to advance practical, forward-looking solutions that support infrastructure renewal, economic resilience, healthcare access, and responsible growth throughout eastern Ontario.
About the EOWC
The Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus (EOWC Inc.) is a non-profit organization representing 103 small-urban and rural municipalities across Eastern Ontario. Spanning 50,000 square kilometres and serving over 1.1 million residents, the EOWC has been a united regional voice for more than 20 years. It advocates for municipal priorities and collaborates with all orders of government, businesses, non-profits, Indigenous leaders, the media, and the public to drive positive change for Eastern Ontario.
For more information, please contact the EOWC:
Bonnie Clark, Chair (Warden of Peterborough County)
Steve Ferguson, Vice-Chair (Mayor of Prince Edward County)
Meredith Staveley-Watson, Director of Government Relations and Policy, EOWC
