City of Pembroke Chief Administrative Officer, left, and Mayor Ron Gervais, second left, participate in the Eastern Ontario Mayors’ Caucus Queen’s Park Advocacy Day in December.
Pembroke city council and staff have stepped up advocacy efforts with the Ontario government in recent months, raising concerns about municipal funding, infrastructure pressures and regional development.
City representatives participated in the Eastern Ontario Mayors’ Caucus Day of Advocacy at Queen’s Park in December, took part in provincial pre-budget consultations held in Pembroke earlier this month and attended the Rural Ontario Municipal Association conference last week. The meetings provided opportunities for direct discussions with provincial ministers, parliamentary assistants and senior staff, often alongside regional partners such as Renfrew County and neighbouring municipalities.
Among the key issues raised were the need for more predictable and sustainable municipal funding, rising and unpredictable policing costs linked to the Ontario Provincial Police billing model, escalating costs for fire equipment and apparatus, and concerns about MPAC property assessments. The city also pressed for increased per-capita funding for post-secondary students, timelines for four-laning Highway 417 and Highway 17 to Pembroke, and measures to address stalled subdivision development in rural Ontario.
Additional advocacy focused on fiscal pressures related to social and housing services, as well as funding for the Pembroke Sportsplex.
“The province is a key partner, and it is very important for us to be in front of these key people to provide the reality and pressures of small municipalities such as Pembroke,” Mayor Ron Gervais said in a statement. He added the city plans to continue working with Renfrew–Nipissing–Pembroke MPP Billy Denault to support Pembroke’s long-term growth and viability.
(Steve Berard)