Bruce and Grey Counties partnered up to talk about a number of issues at a key conference last week.
The Rural Ontario Muncipal Association Conference held February 24th and 25th gave local politicians and County staff the opportunity to raise local issues with the provincial government.
A release from Bruce County says they talked about a local child care worker shortage noting 225 more early childhood educators are needed, investment in the Community Safety and Well-Being Plan, as well as employment land conversions and settlement area expansion.
They also requested collaboration with the Province on workforce strategies, broadband infrastructure, affordable and attainable housing, and municipal representation for Ontario Health Team governance.
Interim Bruce County CAO Christine MacDonald also made a presentation on Human Services Transformation for Poverty Reduction as part of a panel session on Human Services Transformation for Poverty Reduction.
County reps encouraged support from the province for the municipal implementation of Community Safety and Well-Being Plans.
Bruce County says, “Investment in this action work is imperative for reducing the costs associated with expensive incident response.”
Community Safety and Well-Being Plans were mandated by the provincial government and aim to improve coordination between local agencies to proactively mitigate situations before they become situations of elevated risk where a police or emergency response would be needed.
Bruce County says, “These opportunities increase community safety by resolving complex priority areas such as addictions and substance use, mental health, and housing and homelessness.”
Meanwhile, Bruce County reps also brought forward a discussion about employment land conversions and settlement area expansion. The County says, “The process of creating the new County Official Plan has identified a tension between the goal of increasing the supply and mix of homes, the pressure to convert employment lands and/or expand settlements, and the twin goals of maintaining long range supply of designated employment lands and maintaining efficient settlement forms.”
Bruce County and Grey County also requested provincial support in addressing the child care worker labour shortage. Bruce County says, “There is a critical shortage of Early Childhood Education (ECE) workers to meet the demand Corporation of the County of Bruce of existing childcare centres and continue to meet growing needs. The pandemic has highlighted the importance of the provision of quality childcare services in order for the Ontario workforce to continue working to allow for a seamless recovery from this health crisis.”
The County says 225 more Early Childhood Educators are needed in the region, noting,”It is crucial to local prosperity to allow for access to early years services and licensed quality childcare services which encourage labour force participation, reduces poverty, and leads to better educational employment and learning outcomes.”
Bruce County Warden Janice Jackson says in a statement, “Bruce County is ready to move forward on a number of strategies that will positively impact our rural communities and help our region grow. We acknowledge the role of the provincial government and appreciate the opportunity to share ideas and collaborate on these many important initiatives.”
