Busy AMO conference for Sioux Lookout delegates 

Tim Brody - Editor

A busy Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) Conference for Sioux Lookout Mayor Doug Lawrance and Municipal CAO and Clerk Brian MacKinnon.
This year’s AMO Conference took place in Ottawa, running from Aug. 18 – 21.
 “The Annual AMO Conference is always a great opportunity to meet with and learn from colleagues in Municipal Councils and Administrations, AMO Staff, learning sessions, and of course, the opportunity to meet one-on-one with Provincial Ministers,” Lawrance stawted, adding, “As well as attending delegation meetings, this year I was able to attend sessions on Strengthening Public Health, Aging in Place, Housing in Ontario, and Community Safety and Well-Being Plans.”
Lawrance shared, “This year as a Municipality we had delegations with Solicitor General Michael Kerzner in which we repeated our ask that Sioux Lookout’s policing costs be discounted to the normal level of the 300 or so municipalities policed by the OPP.  The Solicitor General committed to follow-up by senior staff both virtually and in person in Sioux Lookout in the six weeks following AMO. We also met with the new Minister of Long Term Care, Minister Natalia Kusendova-Bashla, repeating our request for the Ministry to act on completing the Premier’s commitment to construct the long-term care facility needed for Sioux Lookout.  Our MPP Sol Mamakwa attended this delegation with us.  Minister Kusendova-Bashla committed to come to Sioux Lookout in late September.”
Lawrance continued, “As Chair of the Board for the Northwestern Health Unit I attended two delegations along with fellow Board Member Trudy Sachowski, Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kit Young-Hoon, and NWHU CEO Marilyn Herbacz. We presented Briefing Notes to Minister of Health Sylvia Jones on two topics: one a request for funding to support NWHU’s vaccine preventable disease program, and, secondly to request that the Minister accept the results of our joint merger viability assessment study with the Thunder Bay District Health Unit (a study which demonstrated the non-viability of such a merger).  As a Health Unit team we also had a delegation with the Minister of Finance in which we presented data on the negative impacts of alcohol on youth in our Health Unit and requested that the Minister work with us to mitigate those impacts especially as it relates to the role of new methods of retailing alcohol.
“Finally, as a Director on the Kenora District Services Board I attended delegations with KDSB CEO Henry Wall, Board Chair Fred Mota, and other Board Members. We met with various Ministers and Ministries, including: Health; Education; Children, Community, and Social Services; Municipal Affairs and Housing; Infrastructure; and Solicitor General.”